Hiking McGee Creek Trail To Horsetail Creek

McGee Creek Trail to Horsetail Creek is a gorgeous hike in the Eastern Sierra Mountains. This is the perfect day adventure near Mammoth Lakes, which offers stunning mountain views and a peek at the Horsetail Falls.

McGee Creek Trail is a popular hike in the spring to fall seasons. I recommend saving this trail for early October when the entire valley is dotted with yellow and orange-colored trees. We recently hiked this trail in October, and it was just jaw-dropping!

In this guide, I cover how to get there, where to park, trail difficulty, and what you can expect to see along the McGee Creek Trail!

Quick Trail Overview

Here are a few McGee Creek Trail highlights before I go into more details:

Length: 3.6 miles out and back
Elevation Gain: Around 700 feet
Time Needed: 2-3 hours
Difficulty: Moderate
Dogs allowed?: Yes, this trail is dog-friendly
AllTrails route: McGee Creek to Horsetail Creek

Mcgee Creek Trail Parking

The McGee Creek hike starts at the McGee Creek Trailhead within Inyo National Forest. The trailhead is located just a 25-minute drive south of Mammoth Lakes. This is a very popular hike to do for those visiting Mammoth Lakes, especially in the summer and fall.

To reach the trailhead you can take Highway 395 and turn onto McGee Creek Road. Follow McGee Creek Road for 10 minutes until you reach the trailhead parking lot at the end of it.

The visitor lot is pretty big in size, but it can fill up quickly on the weekends. Some people also park along McGee Creek Road and walk to the trailhead from there.

At the trailhead, you will see a large map of the area. If you plan to backpack this trail overnight, here you can read more about the trail rules and wilderness etiquette.

Although the parking lot was pretty full, the trail itself was not. Most people stay by the trailhead so the further you go, the fewer people you’ll encounter.

There is one restroom at this parking lot along with bear lockers and trash cans. The trail starting point is very easy to spot at the end of the lot.

About McGee Creek Trail

McGee Creek to Horsetail Creek is a gorgeous trek that is 3.6 miles long round trip with 700 feet of elevation gain. This is an out-and-back hike so you can also do a shorter portion of it, especially if you plan to hike with little kids.

This route goes to Horsetail Creek for 1.8 miles at which point you can turn around. You can also keep going along McGee Pass Trail if you’re looking for a longer day hike option.

Mcgee Creek Trail Map:

McGee Creek Trail is a great hike to do in the summer months. Fall is also a popular time when you can enjoy stunning fall colors in this region.

I hiked this trail in early October when the entire mountain range within McGee Creek Canyon was covered in vibrant yellow and orange hues.

Beautiful fall colors along the Mcgee Creek Trail in California.

The McGee Creek Trail allows dogs so many people bring their four-legged friends along for the adventure.

McGee Creek Trail To Horsetail Falls is very dog-friendly!

The path followed next to a creek for the entire time. However, there were no access points to the water until we reached a creek crossing at the end of the trail.

Be sure to bring plenty of water for your dogs, especially on the hot summer days.

If you want to visit this area, but don’t want to do the entire hike, you can also sign up for a horseback riding tour of the canyon. McGee Creek Pack Station offers daily rides in various distances from 1-hour rides to all-day-long adventures.

The ride to Horsetail Falls is about 2 hours long and has two departing times – one in the morning and one in the afternoon.

Hiking Tip: This trail has very little shade so I recommend wearing a hiking hat, sunscreen, polarized sunglasses, and bringing plenty of water bottles with you.

Our Experience Hiking McGee Creek Trail

On this trip, we decided to hike the McGee Creek Trail To Horsetail Falls during the peak fall colors. The entire canyon was colored in yellow and orange hues by the aspens and cottonwoods.

We started the hike in the late morning after arriving here from Mammoth Lakes. We were able to find a parking spot easily in the parking lot near the trailhead.

As soon as we started hiking into the trail, we could see stunning fall colors near the creek. The trail follows McGee Creek the entire time where you can see lots of colorful trees.

Stay to the left to walk through a dense aspen forest near McGee Creek.

In 0.4 miles the trail will split. I recommend going to the left along the McGee Creek Spur Trail to walk through a magical aspen forest that looks golden in the fall months.

McGee Creek Trail in Mammoth Lakes in early October.

Shortly after the trail will connect with the McGee Pass Trail and start climbing up a few steep switchbacks. Then it will flatten out for a bit.

Views of the mountains during the climb up.

This hike gains 700 feet of elevation gain along a steady incline. There were some steeper sections but overall, the climb didn’t feel too strenuous.

Views of McGee Creek Canyon during the hike.

During the climb up you’ll have incredible views of the McGee Canyon with Mount Baldwin and Mount Aggie peaks in the background.

The trail will flatten out towards the end.

The hike ends at Horsetail Creek which flows down from the Horsetail Falls. Due to the obstructing trees, we could barely see Horsetail Falls in the distance.

Horsetail Creek within Inyo National Forest.

After stopping by Horsetail Creek for a quick snack, we turned around and started the hike back to the trailhead.

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Where To Stay

Planning a trip to Mammoth from out of town? Here are some of the top places to stay on your visit:

Outbound Mammoth Hotel

On this trip, we stayed at the Outbound Mammoth Hotel in Mammoth Lakes. This hotel is located a 25-minute drive from the trailhead in downtown Mammoth.

The Outbound Mammoth Hotel has been recently renovated and offers excellent amenities. It is also very dog and family friendly which is why we picked it for our trip.

This cozy mountain retreat has a heated outdoor pool, a hot tub, a restaurant on the premises, and a small, enclosed dog park. After a day full of outdoor adventures, you can cozy up around one of the many outdoor fireplaces or play a game of cornhole in the common area.

Check Outbound Mammoth rates & availability here!

McGee Creek Lodge

If you’re looking for a hotel closer to the trailhead, book a stay at the McGee Creek Lodge! This is a charming, historic lodge off Highway 395 that offers 8 cozy rooms and 2 cottages.

The rooms feature a mini fridge, microwave, and coffee maker so you can start the day off right. The cabins come equipped with full kitchens, BBQ grills, and hot tubs for the ultimate mountain vacation.

McGee Creek Lodge is also pet-friendly. Up to 2 dogs are allowed with a small pet fee of $18 per pet per night.

Check McGee Creek Lodge rates & availability here!

McGee Creek RV Park & Campground

Located just 3.5 miles from the trailhead, McGee Creek RV Park & Campground is a wonderful place to camp in the summer months. This is a private campground that has a lot of great amenities including 3 private trout ponds where you can do a bit of fishing.

McGee Creek Trail To Horsetail Creek is one of the most gorgeous hikes to do in the Mammoth Lakes region in the fall season!

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This post is written by Laura Sausina. Hi, I’m a California local and the founder of the California Wanderland travel blog. I currently live in Ventura County and help 30,000 readers a month discover things to do in Central California! Read more about me here.

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