Rockbound Trail (16E08)

Dogs Leashed

Features Birding · Commonly Backpacked · Fall Colors · Lake · River/Creek · Swimming · Views · Wildflowers · Wildlife

This is pretty friendly to trail runners as wilderness trails go. Don't expect any harrowing sections.

From the Rockbound Trailhead parking lot next to Wrights Lake, the trail winds through a forest, passing Beauty Lake early on. The shade disperses gradually as it also passes junctions with several other trails: Beauty Lake, Twin Lakes Tie, Old Corral Loop, Tyler, and Red Peak. As alpine granite comes into view, the trail enters its sustained steepest section up to Maude Lake, sometimes with the aid of engineered steps, then onto its highest elevation at Rockbound Pass (having climbed over 1,500 vertical feet and 6 1/2 miles from the trailhead. This is a fine place to refuel, rest, and enjoy the views all around.

From the pass, the trail passes a junction with Blakely Trail (a short distance north along which is Lois Lake). The final section winds downhill into the woods a short distance, before ending in a T-intersection with the famous Rubicon Trail, deep in the heart of the Desolation Wilderness.

High Sierra conifer forests, meadows, alpine talus fields with marmots and pikas, and other cool mountain wildlife can all be found along this trail.