Mt Warren

Notes by piero scaruffi | Travel resources | Other California destinations | California hikes
Mt Warren (3757m) is the highest mountain east of Yosemite between Tioga Pass and Mono Lake, north of highway 120, in the Hoover Wilderness. The fastest way to the top is to take the Warren Fork trailhead (2700m) located on highway 120 about 2 kms east of Ellery Dam. The exact location is easily recognized by the sign "9000 Feet" (in 2010). You can park safely on the south side of the road (a large parking area that is in the national forest and therefore can also be used to sleep) and the trail is on the north side of the road.
After about 45' of walking you reach a meadow where the trail often disappears. Leave the trail before the meadow and coast the swampy vegetation to the right entering the redwood forest. Proceed northeast in that forest until you reach another meadow. Head north and then northeast up very steep moraines of talus rock. See my pictures to identify the various turning points. At the top of the rocky chute you enter the summit plateau. The summit that you see is actually a false summit, but totally worth the climb: it has one of the best views of Yosemite. You should be able to make out all three highest points: Mt Dana (southeast), Mt Conness (west) and Mt Lyell (very distant to the southwest). From this false summit a gentle saddle connects to the real summit. Climb the long ridge to the top. There are a small building and an antenna at the top. The main attraction here is clearly the view of Mono Lake.
The hike is relatively short (as the condor flies) but the elevation gain is about 1000 meters.
If, instead of heading up the talus chutes, you continue across the meadow and head northeast (the lowest and rightmost point you can see from the meadow), you reach a "pass" that separates the Warren Creek drainage from the Oneida Lake region: at the top of the ridge two lakes are visible, and the lower one (and bigger one) is Oneida Lake. From this pass one can traverse east to the northern summit plateau of Mt Warren (keep to the left of the peak right east of the pass). From the plateau scramble to the top.

Mt Warren and Lundy Canyon loop

Hike from the Warren Fork trailhead (2750m) to Mt Warren as described above. From the top of Mt Warren either walk to the pass south of Oneida Lake and descend along a use trail to the lake, or from the northern plateau of Mt Warren simply pick a safe class-3 chute that takes you straight in between Oneida Lake and Crystal Lake. The main problem here is the snow that often blocks several of these chutes, and you can't really see it from the top. The official trail (more like a road) goes down from Oneida Lake (2950m) to Lundy Lake (2378m). When the trail bends east, you have great views of the rapids to your left and, of course, of Lundy Canyon. The trail eventually goes down in a straight line towards the dam (eastern end of the lake). If you want to reach the boat landing and store of the lake (western end), pay close attention: there is a V-shaped junction to get to that side of the lake, but the trail is mostly washed out and the junction is barely visible. You'll have to walk on a log to reach firm land. Hence there are two "trailheads" at Lake Lundy: one is at the dam (if you are driving from 395, turn left into the road of the dam at the very beginning of the lake); and the other one is at the store/campground (if you are driving, it's the end of the paved road that coasts the lake, second left turn after the store).

Now you need to walk about 3kms on the unpaved road (or just hitchhike) to the loop with parking spots where the Lundy Canyon trailhead is located. This is one of the most aquatic trails in California. In just one hour you may see more waterfalls than in Yosemite Valley. The trail also keeps crossing creeks and coasting waterfalls. When the trail turns steep, you are heading for Helen Lake, which is a glacier most of the year. At the lake you reach the junction for Lundy Pass, which goes south to to Saddlebag Lake. This pass is covered with snow and ice most of the year. If the trail is walkable, you will soon reach Odell Lake and then Lundy Pass (3100m).

Coast the eastern side of Saddlebag Lake (an unpaved road) and leave the trail where it loses elevation and it turns right to go to the boat ramp. Head southeast coasting the little hill to its right until you hit the trail to Gardisky Lake Find a safe way to descend east from Gardisky Lake staying on the left of the creek. This creek eventually merges with the Warren Creek and the trail is to the left. You are now very close to where you started from (2750m).

  • Trailhead to Mt Warren: 8kms
  • Mt Warren to Oneida Lake: 4kms (cross-country)
  • Oneida Lake to Lundy Lake: 7kms
  • Oneida Lake to Lundy Canyon trailhead: 3kms
  • Lundy Canyon trailhead to first waterfall: 20'
  • To second waterfall: 50'
  • Lundy Canyon trailhead to Helen Lake: 7kms
  • Helen Lake to Saddlebag Lake's parking lot: 11kms
  • Saddlebag Lake to Gardiski Lake: 3kms
  • Gardiski Lake to Warren trailhead: 2kms
  • TOTAL: 45 KMS
If you decide to walk the paved roads from Saddleback Lake to the Warren Fork trailhead:
  • 4kms from Saddlebag to 120
  • 3kms from the Saddlebag junction to the hairpin (or 2kms from Ellery Lake)
This loop is sort of modular:
a) one can go back down to the car after Mt Warren (or even before the top) or
b) one can stop at the road by Lundy Lake or
c) one can stop at the parking lot on Saddlebag Lakes. So if anybody gets tired or scared along the way, s/he can just wait at one of these places. Hopefully at least one person will end the hike and drive back to pick the other/s.
Maps for the Warren-Lundy loop