Backpacking camp

Upper Boy Scout Lake camp area

North Fork Lone Pine Creek — Inyo National Forest, California

About this place

Upper Boy Scout Lake is reached from North Fork Lone Pine Creek on the official MOUNT WHITNEY / NORTH FORK LONE PINE CREEK corridor. Kampilo uses the named feature as a general dispersed overnight-area reference, not as an individual campsite.

Choose an existing durable surface outside every required water, stream, and trail setback. Space, conditions, and legal availability are never guaranteed by the marker.

Water planning

Water at this camp

Natural water at or near this camp area

Availability

Upper Boy Scout Lake and Unnamed mapped stream or river are mapped at or near the camp-area marker. This is map evidence, not a real-time flow report.

Drinking safety

Natural water is not verified potable. Filter and disinfect it or boil it according to the linked land-manager guidance before drinking.

Seasonality

Upper Boy Scout Lake is a mapped waterbody; USGS does not classify it here as seasonal or year-round. Confirm current level, access, and quality. Unnamed mapped stream or river is classified as perennial in USGS hydrography, but current flow still must be confirmed.

  • Upper Boy Scout LakeLake or pond · at the camp areaMapped waterbody — level and access can change · Treat before drinking
    Official source
  • Unnamed mapped stream or riverRiver or stream · at the camp areaMapped perennial source — verify current flow · Treat before drinking
    Official source

Fire planning

Campfire & stove rules

Campfires prohibited under current Stage 1 restrictions

Campfires

This is an undeveloped backcountry camp area. The current Inyo National Forest Stage 1 order prohibits wood, charcoal, and other campfires outside listed developed recreation sites; a wilderness permit does not override that order.

Backpacking stoves

Shutoff-valve gas stove allowed with permit. Use only a portable gas, LPG, jellied-petroleum, or pressurized-liquid-fuel stove with a working shutoff valve. Wood-burning and twig stoves count as campfires and are not allowed under the current order.

Permit

Carry a valid California Campfire Permit for stove use. The wilderness permit is not a substitute for checking the current fire order.

Current restrictions

Stage 1 restrictions are listed through December 31, 2026. Recheck the Inyo alerts page immediately before departure because orders can be extended, replaced, or tightened.

Seasonal access

Closures & seasonal access

High Sierra approaches can be snowbound well into summer, and several roads, shuttles, and remote spurs operate only seasonally

Place closure

No recurring date-based closure of Upper Boy Scout Lake is published. The source-connected approach conditions below and temporary emergency orders still control access.

Seasonal access

Source-connected approach: North Fork Lone Pine Creek Trailhead. High Sierra approaches can be snowbound well into summer, and several roads, shuttles, and remote spurs operate only seasonally. Desert and foothill entries may remain physically reachable in winter but can become unsafe in storms, heat, or after washouts.

Before driving

Check the exact county, highway, Forest Service road, gate, and shuttle status immediately before departure; a wilderness permit does not guarantee vehicle access.

Conditions and emergency orders are not live. This record was reviewed on October 13, 2026; posted closures, locked gates, and newer manager notices always control.

Inyo National Forest — current alerts

Mapped approaches

Choose a trailhead for Upper Boy Scout Lake camp area

Each option has a sourced trail route to this camp area. Choose one to open its itinerary builder with this destination in context.

Map

Loading map
Latitude
36.581907° N
Longitude
118.273684° W

Sources

USGS Geographic Names — Hydrographic features · gaz_id 268600Inyo National Forest wilderness use restrictionsInyo National Forest food and refuse storage orderInyo National Forest wilderness campfire restrictionsInyo National Forest hiking and camping with dogsInyo National Forest alertsOpenTopoData public API — SRTM 90 mUSGS NHDPlusV2 waterbody — Upper Boy Scout LakeUSGS NHDPlusV2 flowlineUSDA Forest Service — Backcountry Safety: Water & SanitationInyo National Forest — current alerts and fire restrictionsInyo National Forest — Ansel Adams and John Muir Wilderness Campfire RestrictionsCalifornia — California Campfire PermitInyo National Forest — current alerts