Steve - Yes. Also, as it applies to the Cottonwood Lakes Trail, the USGS topo shows the trail on the east side of Cottonwood Creek and leading to a bend in the road northeast of the parking lot. I think that trail is only used now by the private camp. If you look on the topo near Golden Trout Camp the Cottonwood Lakes Trail on the west side of the creek is shown crossing the creek to join the one on the east side about a mile south of the camp. That's not the way it is now. The Cottonwood Lakes Trail continues south on the west side of the creek, crosses South Fork, and goes across the flattish area, more-or-less directly to the Cottonwood Lakes Trailhead parking lot. Also shown on the USGS topo is an apparently abandoned trail that links the Cottonwood Lakes Trail with the Cottonwood Pass Trail, about a mile long and a little less than a mile west of both parking lots (I think the old trail that Ken just mentioned). Now, a short trail links the parking lots more directly, going through the forest and passing by (as Ken also mentioned) a horse packer facility. On the Cottonwood Lakes Trail, the turn off is an eighth of a mile or so west of the trailhead.
This is shown correctly on the Tom Harrison Golden Trout Wilderness map, but unfortunately, it's the Mount Whitney High Country map one would use in the Cottonwood/Miter area, and the trailhead area happens to be off the edge. Oh well, it's easy enough to find your way. The only real source of minor confusion comes when, if you are heading for the trailhead and looking at the USGS topo, you cross a creek and expect to be crossing Cottonwood Creek with the water flowing from your left to right. But it's flowing from right to left because you are actually crossing South Fork. One might also wonder why the topo doesn't show the trail as going to the Cottonwood Lakes Trailhead parking lot (the two loops at the end of the north fork of the road), but rather, to some random bend in the road. Of course, I might be the only person who was ever confused by this...
