California trails · Minnow Creek
Minnow Creek
A 9.4-mile network in California, with 3,318 ft of climbing. Reaches Scoop Lake and other hot spring/lake destinations. Managed by the U.S. Forest Service.
Elevation profile
The climbing leans toward the first third: 54% of the ascent falls between mile 0.0 and mile 3.1.
3-D terrain
USGS 3DEP ELEVATION × ESRI WORLD IMAGERY · VERTICAL ×1.5
Reaches
- Scoop Lake (lake)
- Marsh Lake (lake)
- Papoose Lake (lake)
- Lake of the Lone Indian (lake)
- Grassy Lake (lake)
- Lagoon Lake (lake)
- Iva Bell Hot Springs (hot spring)
Heads up
Daylight at the trailhead
On August 31, 2026 — the day this page was generated — first light reaches this trailhead at 5:58 a.m., the sun rises at 6:25 a.m. and sets at 7:26 p.m., and the last usable light fades about 7:53 p.m. (PDT) — 13 h 01 min of daylight. At about 2.7 mph plus 30 minutes per 1,000 feet of climbing, the 9.4-mile route takes roughly 5 h 08 min, so leaving the trailhead at sunrise puts you back around 11:33 a.m. — 7 h 53 min before sunset.
Nearby trails
- Mono Creek — 3.6 mi
- Mcgee Pass — 9.1 mi
- John Muir — 14.0 mi
- Isberg — 18.9 mi