Here are my recent reports on Golden Trout Lakes and Onion Valley from a trip last July:markley wrote:Well it looks like the all of the permits for the "Bishop Pass-South Lake" (to go to Dusy) are reserved for the time we will be there. Any opinions on the following: Sabrina Lake (to go to Midnight Lake, Hungry Packer, and surrounding lakes), Treasure Lakes-South Lake, Golden Trout Lakes, and Big Pine Creek North Fork.
Thanks
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Onion Valley Road has convenient dispersed camping. If all the way up at the trailhead parking lot and campground, the campground is nice and can be reserved. First come first served sites make up the majority of the sites and are easy to get most weekdays. The host, James, is the most hospitable host I have ever experienced. The sleep for free in the van options are easy there, and may even be suggested by the host if the campgrounds are full. Dayhikes are good from that parking lot. A backpack to GTL is short, uncrowded, and rugged, unless you get aggressive enough to make it longer and do what I describe in my TR. You probably would prefer Kearsarge Pass for a dayhike or backpack.
All of the other trailheads you mention are great. North Fork Big Pine would be most stunning if you like the glacier shrouded Palisades, but most demanding of the ones you listed. The glacial feel will be a bit subdued due to drought.
Hobbes is spot on about just going for walk-ins and taking what you can get, or disperse camping, car camping, and dayhiking the highest trailheads if you strike out on permits. There are huge swaths of disperse camping land near 395 that usually are not a huge drive from most trailheads. You almost can't go wrong with backpacking or dayhiking the higher trailheads from the summitpost eastern Sierra link. Don't necessarily avoid the ones that aren't 8,000 feet or higher. Most of the middle elevation ones +/-7,000-8,000 feet are great from Mammoth Lakes north to Bridgeport area. The lower ones south of Bishop through Lone Pine are more seriously challenging.
Note: per Inyo NF, South Lake Rd. and Rock Creek Rd. will have construction projects that restrict parking this summer. I wouldn't count on as easy as normal van sleeping and parking for hikes there this summer. The early bird gets the worm regardless.