A village-to-lake route · Bear Valley

Bear Valley to
Lake Alpine

Begin beside Alpine County Lot A at the south end of the Bear Valley Music Festival grounds. The trail slips into the forest, crosses Highway 4 once, then climbs gently east on the multi-use Bear Valley to Lake Alpine Trail.

Continue straight at the Emigrant Trail split, pass through the Silvertip campground area and finish where the mapped trail meets West Lake Alpine Road. In season, the nearby lodge restaurant and small store make a welcome post-hike stop—but confirm hours before leaving.

3.2 miMapped one-way line

~500–600 ftClimbing eastbound

2–3 hrEstimated one way

Easy–moderateEffort at altitude

Mapped one-way route

Explore the route

The downloadable line follows public Forest Service and OpenStreetMap trail data from the festival grounds to the Lake Alpine trail junction. It deliberately stops before the unmapped roadside approach to the lodge.

Take the route with you

Download the GPX

Save the route offline before leaving—the Lake Alpine end has spotty reception.

Download route (GPX) ↓

Send it to your device

GarminDownload the GPX, share it to Garmin Connect, choose Hiking, save it and use Send to Device.Garmin instructions ↗
StravaOn the Strava website, open My Routes, create a route and upload the GPX. Route creation may require a subscription.Strava instructions ↗
Apple WatchApple Maps and Fitness do not directly import GPX. Open the file in a route app such as Footpath or WorkOutDoors.Footpath instructions ↗

Before you go

Cross once. Shuttle smart. Check hours.

Highway 4 is an active mountain road and the trail crossing is not a protected crosswalk. Stop, look both ways and cross only when the road is clear. Expect cyclists and equestrians on the multi-use trail.

The Forest Service describes the broader outing as about four miles one way; this downloadable mapped segment is 3.2 miles and stops at West Lake Alpine Road rather than routing hikers along Highway 4. Stage a car in a lawful Lake Alpine day-use area before starting, or plan a longer return. Current parking rules and fees can change.

The lodge is seasonal, generally operating only in the snow-free months. Treat it as a nearby post-hike stop reached from your staged car—not as part of the GPX walking line—and confirm current hours before leaving.

Route geometry is mapped from public USDA Forest Service and OpenStreetMap data rather than a personal activity recording. Follow current signs and conditions on the ground.

Lake Alpine Lodge hours ↗Forest Service visitor guide ↗OpenStreetMap attribution ↗Highway 4 conditions ↗

Bear Valley toLake Alpine

Explore the route

Download the GPX

Send it to your device

Bear Valley to
Lake Alpine