The Complete Guide

I've done this one as a rushed half-day hike and I've done it slow enough to eat lunch at three different lakes before even reaching the pass, and I genuinely can't decide which version I like more. Duck Pass Trail is one of the most popular hikes out of Mammoth for a reason — you get a whole string of alpine lakes stacked one after another, real elevation, real payoff at the top, and it's entirely doable as a big day hike even though plenty of people also turn it into an overnight. I'll get into both, but this one's written mainly for the day-trip version, because that's how most people actually do it, myself included most of the time.

Quick Stats

• Distance: About 9.5–11 miles round trip to Duck Lake, depending on the exact route and any detours
• Elevation gain: Roughly 1,600–2,200 feet
• Trailhead elevation: About 9,120–9,150 ft | Duck Pass: About 10,800 ft | Duck Lake: About 10,450 ft
• Difficulty: Moderate to hard — the mileage isn't extreme, but the altitude and the final push to the pass are genuinely tough
• Trailhead: Coldwater Campground, end of Lake Mary Road
• Fishing: Yes, most of the lakes along the way are stocked with trout
• Permit: Not required for day hiking, only for overnight camping
• Popular: Very. This is one of the most hiked trails out of Mammoth, so don't expect solitude on a summer weekend

Getting to the Trailhead

Drive up Lake Mary Road, stay left past Twin Lakes, continue along the east side of Lake Mary, and turn toward Coldwater Campground at the south end. Drive all the way to the very back of the campground — there's a decent-sized parking lot there, and this is also where a few other trailheads split off, so double check you're on the actual Duck Pass Trail and not accidentally headed toward Emerald Lake, which starts nearby.

The Lakes Along the Way

This is really the whole appeal of this hike — you're not waiting until the end for a payoff, you're getting one every mile or so.

Arrowhead Lake (about 0.8–1 mile in). The trail climbs steadily from the trailhead, and a short spur drops down to Arrowhead Lake fairly early on. It's shaped, unsurprisingly, like an arrowhead. Good early turnaround option if you're hiking with someone who wants a shorter day, and a decent enough fishing spot if you don't want to go any further.

Skelton Lake (about 1.5–1.6 miles in). This is the one I usually stop at even on days when I'm not planning to go all the way. It's a bigger, more open lake with a sandy bottom in places, genuinely popular with both hikers and anglers, and I've seen more people fishing here than at any other lake on this trail. If you're short on time, Skelton Lake alone is a completely satisfying turnaround point.

Barney Lake (about 2.4–2.5 miles in). My personal favorite on this whole route, and I say that having stopped at every lake on it more times than I can count. You crest a rise and Barney opens up below you, with a small side trail to tiny Red Lake nearby if you want to add a quick detour. The climb up from Skelton to this viewpoint is real work, but the view down onto Barney makes it worth stopping to catch your breath here regardless of how tough you want to admit that climb was.

The Push to Duck Pass

This is the part of the hike that earns the "hard" half of its difficulty rating. From Barney Lake, the trail switchbacks steeply up a rocky headwall to reach Duck Pass at around 10,800 feet, and it holds onto snow well into early summer some years. I will be honest: I have underestimated this section more than once, treating it like "just the last bit" only to remember partway up that eight hundred feet of gain in under a mile at this altitude is genuinely demanding no matter how good shape you're in. Take it slow, and don't be surprised if this short stretch takes longer than the previous two miles combined.

The reward at the top is real, though — panoramic views back over the lakes basin you just climbed through, and your first look down at Duck Lake and the Silver Divide beyond it on the other side.

Duck Lake Itself

Duck Lake sits just past the pass, a big, deep-blue cirque lake that's genuinely one of the larger and more dramatic lakes in the whole area. This is a great spot to sit, eat, and fish for a while before heading back, and honestly, most day hikers treat Duck Lake as the natural turnaround point rather than pushing further, which is exactly what I'd recommend unless you've got a specific reason to continue toward Pika Lake or Purple Lake beyond it.

Fishing

Most of the lakes on this trail are stocked and genuinely productive for trout, and Skelton and Duck Lake in particular see a lot of rod time from people doing exactly this hike. I've packed a rod in more than once specifically to fish Skelton on the way up and Duck Lake at the turnaround, and it's a nice way to stretch what could be a rushed out-and-back into a full, unhurried day. Standard California fishing license and regulations apply, so come prepared if you're planning to actually keep anything.

This Is Popular — Plan Around It

I want to be upfront about this because it changes how I'd recommend timing your trip. Duck Pass Trail is one of the most hiked routes out of Mammoth, and on a summer weekend the parking lot at Coldwater Campground fills early and the trail itself sees a steady stream of other people, especially through the lower lakes. If you want anything close to solitude, go on a weekday, start early, or aim for September when the crowds thin out considerably. I've done this hike on a quiet Tuesday morning with barely another soul in sight, and I've also done it on a July Saturday where Skelton Lake looked more like a popular beach than a backcountry destination. Same trail, completely different experience depending on timing.

You Can Backpack This One Too

Worth mentioning even though this guide is written for the day-hike version: Duck Lake and the lakes basin below it are popular overnight destinations, and plenty of people turn this into a one or two night trip, camping at Barney Lake or continuing past Duck Lake toward Pika or Purple Lake and connecting into the John Muir Trail and PCT corridor beyond. If you want to slow down and actually spend real time at these lakes rather than power through them in a day, that's a completely reasonable way to do this hike. The catch is that a wilderness permit is required for any overnight stay here, year-round, while day hiking needs no permit at all. If you're set on camping, plan ahead — permits for popular Mammoth Basin trailheads like this one can be competitive in peak season.

What to Bring

Footwear: Real hiking shoes or boots. The trail is well maintained but the final push to the pass is rocky and steep enough that flimsy footwear will make it worse than it needs to be.

Water and a filter: You're passing several lakes, so treating water along the way is a reasonable backup, but I still carry a solid amount from the trailhead rather than relying entirely on refills.

Sun protection: Long stretches of this trail sit above treeline or in open terrain near the lakes basin, especially the upper half. Hat, sunscreen, the usual.

Layers: It's genuinely colder up at Duck Pass than it is at the trailhead, and wind at that elevation can catch you off guard even on a warm day lower down.

Fishing gear, if that's your thing. Several real opportunities along this trail specifically.

Trekking poles: Not essential for most of the hike, but genuinely useful on the switchbacks up to the pass, especially on the way down.

A Few Things I've Learned the Hard Way

• Don't treat the final climb to Duck Pass as a formality just because it's short. It's the hardest quarter mile of the whole hike.
• If you only have time for a shorter version, Skelton or Barney Lake are both completely worthwhile turnaround points on their own.
• Go early or go on a weekday if you want this trail without the crowds. It's genuinely one of the busiest in the area.
• Bring a rod if you're even a little bit interested in fishing. I've regretted leaving mine at the car more than once looking at how good Skelton and Duck Lake both looked.