Big Pine

At 2.5 miles in length, 1 mile in width and several hundred feet thick the Palisade Glacier is the largest glacier in the Sierra and the Southernmost glacier in the Western Hemisphere and sits at an elevation between 13,000 and 14,000 feet. While it is possible to see the glacier from the Owens Valley (hwy. 395) many avid hikers choose to make the challenging 9 mile, 5 hour hike on a trail that climbs 4,000 feet and parallels the North fork of the Big Pine Creek. Even if you don't make it to the glacier the hike is spectacular and takes you past many of the beautiful Big Pine Lakes where you can stop and have a picnic or fish for rainbow, brown, brook and even golden trout.