Purple Lake camping area
- Camping
Lake in the John Muir Wilderness at about 3,010 m (9,880 ft). No camping within 300 ft of the outlet, no campfires in the Duck Creek and Purple Lake area, and bear canisters are required.
John Muir Trail · Stage 6 of 18
Reds Meadow to Purple Lake
Stage 6 of the John Muir Trail covers 22.0 km from Reds Meadow to Purple Lake, with 1,065 m of ascent and 348 m of descent. The highest point is 3,196 m. Allow about 7.5 hours of walking, plus breaks.
22.0 kmdistance
1,065 mascent
348 mdescent
~7.5 hwalking time
harddifficulty
3,196 mhighest point
≈ 4.25 L
≈ 2,280 kcal
Distance, climb and elevation come from the Outest route data. Difficulty and time are estimates from distance and climb; your pace will vary with heat, pack weight and photo stops.
Where to sleep and eat on this stage
Purple Lake
Checked online in October 2026. Places marked "not confirmed on an official page" are listed elsewhere but could not be checked on their own or an agency website. Your wilderness permit lets you camp where it is legal, at least 100 ft (30 m) from water and the trail; some lakes have extra limits. Bear canisters are required.
Help and services on this stage
Emergency: call or text 911 (no signal on most of the trail). Emergency & health guide
Nearest hospital
- Mammoth Hospital · Mammoth Lakes · 24/7 emergency
+1 760-934-3311 · Map
Pharmacies, ATMs, shops and stops: © OpenStreetMap contributors. Hospitals and health centres checked online.
Walk Reds Meadow to Purple Lake with Outest
The full stage works offline in Outest, with the route, elevation, water and village points, and a trail guide you can ask about conditions and the next place to sleep.