Twenty Lakes Basin | Saddlebag Trailhead

If you’re looking for a scenic adventure in the Sierra Nevadas that features an epic granite heaven and beautiful high elevation lakes then, well, you have so many options to choose from! The Sierras are truly a nature lovers dream. One hike that really showcases the beauty of this area has to be the Twenty Lakes Basin Trail.

As we were hiking Twenty Lakes Basin, the beauty was almost unfathomable! It was like I couldn’t believe I was really here, really seeing this seriously stunning scenery. I will admit that this trail was a bit busier than our usual adventures but the jaw dropping beauty more than made up for it. (I know that if I personally read that the trail was busy, I might start looking for another one. And to those of you who would typically do the same, I would suggest making an exception for this one!)

Basic Info: Hiking Twenty Lakes Basin

Distance: 6 miles – we did a shortened lollipop hike. Twenty Lakes Basin can be done as a loop or a lollipop depending on if you decide to walk both shores of the initial Saddlebag Lake. The full loop is 9.1 miles and the lollipop is 7.8 miles.

There are also opportunities to lengthen this hike and explore further. Overnight use requires a permit and there are camping restrictions in the area as well. For more information, check out the forest service website here.

Difficulty: Easy to moderate; the beginning (and end) of the trail traverses a rocky section where watching your footing is a must.

Directions: As you’re travelling north or south along the US-395, turn west onto the CA-120 at Lee Vining. Follow CA-120 W for 9.9 miles and then turn right onto Saddlebag Lake Road. After 2.5 miles, the parking area will be on the left. If the parking area is full, there is additional parking along Saddlebag Lake Road.

Our Experience Hiking Twenty Lakes Basin

Friends of ours actually planned this adventure so we had no idea where we were going and were completely unaware of the beauty that we were about to experience hiking Twenty Lakes Basin. We got an early start as we drove towards Lee Vining and started up the incredibly scenic Tioga Pass.

When we arrived, we noticed that there were numerous cars parked along the dirt road on the way to the trailhead. Then once at the parking area we snagged one of the last spots. Luckily we started as early as we did (or just good planning on our friends part)!

From the parking area, you can look out over Saddlebag Lake and see the trails on either side. There is a trail that circumnavigates Saddlebag Lake and there is also a boat shuttle from Saddlebag Resort that you can take.

From here we crossed the dam and started hiking Twenty Lakes Basin along the west shore of Saddlebag Lake. This section of the trail along the shore is pretty rocky, but already beautiful!

Once on the far end of the lakeshore, it becomes less rocky and greener as we continued northwest towards the luring granite peaks.

And then the lakes just keep coming and coming!

Each lake was a different beauty – different shapes, sizes, colors, backdrops, and surroundings. It was a treat each time we encountered the next lake!

As we neared the granite peaks, some of the lakes had beautiful granite backdrops. And there was one lake had a beautiful waterfall dropping into it!

And here are a few more super beautiful lakes.

When we reached the southern shore of Steelhead Lake, we followed the trail along the eastern shoreline. Then on the north shore of Steelhead Lake, we turned off onto a trail that took us up some switchbacks.

This branch was kind of steep, a little rocky and passed through some conifers before granting us a spectacular vista of the lake filled basin below. And the contrasting granite was just stunning! We stopped here to take in the view and had a snack.

Hike it Later – Pin it Now!

We made our way back down to Twenty Lakes Basin trail and followed it to the opposite, granitic side of Steelhead Lake that we were just looking at from our vista. This side was like a granite and lake filled playground. It was just gorgeous.

Stopping to skip rocks here and there we worked our way around the main lakes.

Although it was kinda chilly, Shane and Al decided to jump in one of the irresistible lakes among Twenty Lakes Basin.

This would be a great hike to do as a backpacking adventure to get in some further exploring! The trail meanders along the lakes and over some granite before we reconnected with the trail that we were on on the other side of Steelhead Lake. We followed the trail back the way we came.

Hiking Twenty Lakes Basin trail was a memorable experience! The scenery was the perfect mix of granite and lakes, with the gorgeous contrasting green dispersed throughout. If you get a chance, definitely check it out – and if you can, consider making it an overnight trip or backpack in even further. This is one trail that we’d love to revisit!

Thank you for reading about our adventure on Twenty Lakes Basin Trail!

If you have any suggestions for hikes with jaw dropping scenery, please let us know in the comments below!

For more of our favorite hiking and longboarding adventures, check out the articles below:

• Backpacking Ediza and Iceburg Lake
• Beartooth Highlakes Trail
• Longboarding Beartooth Highway
• Awesome Hikes in Badlands National Park
• Longboarding Wetlands Loop Trail

We spend a lot of our time on the road going on adventures of all kinds! But we’re also busy working on our unique hand painted longboards. If you’d like to check those out, head over to our Lost Coast Longboarding Shop! We also design and silk screen our own t-shirts.

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