Are you planning to visit June Lake? June Lake is a haven for lovers of the outdoors and nature. It offers a variety of activities, exciting photo opportunities and a quiet, relaxed atmosphere that forces you to take a deep breath and relax.
June Lake is a resort town in eastern California, a few miles north of Mammoth Lakes and a few miles south of Mono Lake and Lee Vining. The horseshoe-shaped canyon will enchant you with its beauty. It’s a nice stop on route 395.
Known as the Switzerland of California, Juneau Lake is famous for its four sparkling alpine lakes at the base of the towering Sierra Nevada Mountains. It is a destination for all seasons, although this guide is more focused on visits from spring to fall.
If you’re planning to visit this scenic area of California, read on for the best things to do by the lake in June, as well as our suggestions for lodging and dining.
List of What You Read
Recreational activities in Juniper
June Lake Loop Scenic Movement
If you do nothing else on June Lake, you should at least hike the scenic June Lake Loop. It’s about 16 miles from Highway 395, the main road through the Eastern Sierra, and can be done in less than an hour if you limit your photo stops.
Of course, if you have the time, you can also take a more leisurely drive with lots of stops so you can enjoy the scenery even more, take millions of photos and even do some activities along the way.
The scenery along the June Lake Loop is some of the most beautiful in the region, no matter the season. Four beautiful mountain lakes – June Lake, Gull Lake, Silver Lake and Grant Lake – are the anchor point of the trail, but the surrounding mountains and meadows and Rush Creek also add to the beauty of the loop. The lakes here are some of the most beautiful in California!
That’s good to hear: The June Lake Loop is partially closed in winter and early spring in the event of snow accumulation. So if you come during that time, make sure it’s open on the day you want to run it.
Swimming, bathing or sunbathing by the lake of June
June Lake has a beautiful, partially sandy beach on the east side, with a walkable path to the water. Picturesque boulders, some of them large, add cachet to the landscape, and Carson Peak provides a majestic backdrop to the blue waters of the lake.
During the warmer months, you can enjoy a variety of beach activities at June Lake Beach. Swim in the crystal clear water, enjoy the sun, picnic, take or rent a buoy to relax on the water.
You can also kayak, canoe or stand-up paddle on June Lake Beach. Equipment can be rented at June Lake Beach during the season.
Enjoy a walk on the beach during the cooler spring and fall months. It’s a peaceful walk along the water, and you can watch the waterfowl galloping in the waves or dozing on the shore. Can you imagine a more relaxing scene?
Forward, boat
You can take a boat ride on one of the four lakes that make up the June Lake Loop. There are two marinas on June Lake and one on Gull, Silver and Grant Lakes.
If you bring your own boat, you can launch it at one of the marinas, but there are also a variety of boats for hire, from pedal boats to flat-bottomed motor boats and pontoons. Some are even in the shade!
Motorboats are usually rented for a half or full day, and we found the prices reasonable. Advance booking is recommended.
Water sports
If you like adrenaline-pumping water sports, head to Grant Lake, the largest of the four lakes in the June Lake Loop. You can also enjoy water sports on June Lake.
On Grant Lake, the speed limit will be increased to 10 mph. Then you can wakeboard, wakesurf, kneeboard and water ski. Jet ski and boat rentals are available at the marina.
Boat trips to Grant Lake are available until 10am, but the speed limit is 10mph.
Go fish!
The Eastern Sierra is a huge fishing area, and June Lake is no different. Four lakes are particularly well known for trout: Rainbow trout, large brown trout, cutthroat trout, brown trout and alpine trout.
You can also fish Rush Creek, especially where it enters or exits the lakes, Reverse Creek or other small creeks in the area or the lakes in the hills around June Lake Loop.
On the lakes you can fish from the shore or from a boat or go tubing. We saw all three species of fish during our visit! Local outfitters supply equipment and arrange tours.
On the shores of June Lake, which is just down the road, are small, quiet creeks that are ideal for fishing. The marinas are also popular fishing spots, as is the shore of Silver Lake near the parking lot and resort.
That’s good to hear: Here you will find the latest California freshwater fish regulations and other relevant information.
Enjoy a day trip to June Lake
There are numerous hiking trails of varying length and difficulty on and around Lake June. Below, we’ve listed some of our favorite June hikes on the lake.
Walk around Gull Lake
If you’re looking for a relatively flat and easy nature trail, the 3-mile loop around Gull Lake is perfect. The trailhead is on Granite Avenue next to the June Lake-Mono County Library, where you can pick up a brochure.
Sure, you’ll have a beautiful view of the lake, but you’ll likely see wildflowers in the meadows in the spring and beautiful leafy colors of the aspens in the fall. Dogs on leash are allowed on this trail.
Walk to Parker Lake
Perhaps the most popular day hike to June Lake, the easy hike to Parker Lake is about 4 miles round trip, with an elevation gain of about 650 feet. The trail enters Parker Lake Road on the north side of June Lake Loop Road.
In the spring and early summer, the section of trail beyond Parker Creek is full of wildflowers. In autumn the aspens turn bright yellow. The scenery here is pretty spectacular, but Parker Lake at the base of Parker Peak is just as spectacular, if not more so.
Walk to Agnew Lake and Jema Lake
Rush Creek Trail is at Silver Lake. The round trip is about 7.25 miles if you walk a bit along the edge of Gemm Lake, and is considered a challenging route, with over 2,000 feet of elevation gain.
Along the way you will have a beautiful view of the Chwoszcz waterfall, which is powerful in early summer. Agnew Lake has artwork that partially mar the landscape, but Gem Lake is beautiful and serene.
That’s good to hear: This trail is also used as a pack trail, so you may encounter people on horseback (or horse poop!) along the way.
Walk to the boating lake
Fern Lake Trail is located at Double Eagle Resort. The path is nominally difficult: It is a very steep climb. The length is approximately 3.4 miles in both directions.
The Fern Lake Trail offers great bird’s eye views of June, Gull and Silver lakes, as well as a waterfall along the way. It is a picturesque place, with wildflowers in spring and early summer and beautiful foliage in autumn.
Walking
The Rush Creek Trail, which leads to Lake Agnew and Gem Lake near Silver Lake, continues along the John Muir Trail and the Pacific Crest Trail in the Ansel Adams Wilderness.
So, if you are planning to spend a few days at the lake in June and you love backpacking, you have several options! You can hike to and from Waugh Lake and Thousand Island Lake, or hike the Jam Waugh Lake and Clark Lake loop trail.
That’s good to hear: A permit is required for hiking in the Eastern Sierra. If you want to include a night hike in your June Lake itinerary, make sure to sign up in advance.
Coached horse riding
Do you like horse riding? The Frontier Pack Train offers a wide variety of tours from the June Lake Pack Station, ranging from one-hour trips to half-day and full-day excursions and multi-day group outings.
Guided hikes are usually offered in summer and there are hikes for all levels. The short walks through beautiful meadows and woods are suitable for beginners and young children alike.
During the day, follow the Rush Creek Trail to Agnew and Gemm Lakes, and explore the Ansel Adams Wilderness on longer hikes. Book your excursions in advance.
Climb Mton the June Mountain Railway.
June Ski Resort is a popular ski resort in winter, but you can also use the chairlift to reach the top of the mountain in summer! The views from the top are great, and there are hiking trails you can explore at the top.
Chair J1 takes you to the June Meadows Chalet, where you can have breakfast or lunch with a view at the June Meadows Café or enjoy a cold drink at the Antlers Bar. Both sites have outdoor seating with spectacular mountain views.
Enjoy fall flowers and spring wildflowers by the lake atJune.
June Lake is one of the best places in the Gold Country to see the beautiful colors nature offers in spring and fall.
In the fall, the June Lake Loop is cloaked in yellow, orange, red and burgundy. Combine the beautiful autumn colours with the sparkling blue or green waters of the lake and the fresh air, and you have the perfect place for a nature holiday.
The colors fall in June. The lake usually reaches its peak in early to mid-October. If you plan to visit June Lake in the fall and want to be close to the peak, read the fall color report for June Lake and other nearby areas with fall colors here.
Spring begins in late June due to the lake’s high elevation (7,600 feet above sea level), but you will see many wildflowers in late May, June and early July, especially in good bloom years.
You are likely to find lupine, Indian tassel, mariposa lilies, scarlet roses and many other species of wildflowers from the Eastern Sierra. The Parker Lake Trail, especially around Parker Creek, is a great place to hunt wildflowers.
Forward birding
June Lake is home to a wide variety of birds, both native and migratory. Walking along the trails is the best way to see shorebirds up close, while the shores of the lake offer the opportunity to see both waterfowl and shorebirds in the surrounding vegetation.
If you are lucky, you may see a bald eagle on June Lake. In winter they are more likely to be found at other times of the year. Ospreys catching trout and golden eagles are other birds of prey you can see here.
Look out for gulls, mallards, great sawbills and herons in the water and Steller’s jays, mountain chickens and robins on land. Don’t forget to bring binoculars when you go to June Lake!
