Bare Island Lake Trail

Bare Island Lake Trail is a short, quiet hike in Sierra National Forest just outside Yosemite's south entrance, near Fish Camp. The route covers 1.9 miles between the Iron Creek trailhead and Bare Island Lake, a Sierra Nevada backcountry lake tucked into forest and granite well off Yosemite's main park corridors. The Forest Service's Bass Lake Ranger District maintains it, and hiking is the only permitted use.

On the Trail

This is a standard dirt path — Forest Service terrain, not graded or paved — running through Sierra National Forest woods to the lake. There's no water source along the route, so carry everything you plan to drink. The trail dead-ends at Bare Island Lake, so most hikers treat it as an out-and-back trip, retracing their steps to the trailhead.

Getting There

The trailhead sits on Forest Road 20E04 (Iron Creek), reached from the Fish Camp area southwest of Yosemite's South Entrance. This route sits in Sierra National Forest, not inside Yosemite National Park boundaries — a different agency, different rules of the road. Forest roads here can be rough, and conditions shift with the season, so check ahead before you commit to the drive.

Before You Go

For current trail status, road access, or seasonal closures, call the Bass Lake Ranger District at (559) 877-2218 (Monday-Friday, 8:00am-4:30pm). Cell service is unreliable this far into the forest, so plan your route and check conditions before you leave Fish Camp.