If you're looking for elevation gain, Emigrant Wilderness has you covered. Varying terrain including forests, alpine lakes, and rocky ridges make for fun and enjoyable trips. Did not notice any mosquitos. It was also mostly downhill, which was great. The smoky skies made for an amazing sunset and sunrise the next morning. While the durable surface is no longer a trail, you should still pay attention to your surroundings. On the way, I lost count of the many mounds of berry-filled bear scat we passed. Backpacking to Upper Lewis Lake and Granite Dome in Emigrant Wilderness What Is Happy July 9, 2015 Second annual backpacking trip up to Emigrant Wilderness for the 4th of July. The wide meandering creek flows out of Kennedy Lake, which is pretty, but muddy this time of year. Long-distance hiking along the PCT usually requires planning many months in advance, as PCTA-issued permits and some Park and Forest Unit permits are limited. I found a cliff overlooking the lake with a fire ring and a sheltered spot for my sleeping pad. Start at Crabtree Trailhead.Day 1: Camp Lake, Piute Lake, Gem Lake, Jewelry Lake, Deer Lake, Buck Lakes.Day 2: Emigrant Lake, Maxwell Lake, Huckleberry Lake, Letora Lake, Cow Meadow Lake, Wood Lake.Day 3: Buck Meadow, Grouse Lake, Pine Valley, Crabtree Trailhead. Thankfully, we didnt have to backtrack too much, we just traversed the ridge to our left, westwardly, until we hit the first major creek drainage (which was dry), which was the safest way down. An official website of the This volunteer group works in all three wilderness areas within the Stanislaus, primarily cutting out the logs which fall across trails using both human and stock power. I decided to sleep under the stars without the tarp. Emigrant Wilderness, located south of Hwy. The route was created originally as an alternative to John Muir Trail and can be hiked in 7-17 days. You can also take the short spur to Bear Lake, on the junction directly after Camp Lake. Emigrant Wilderness - granite dome lakes << Hiking In Emigrant Summary Granite Dome Hike >> Stats to Reach Lakes. Stranislaus Wilderness Volunteers is a group of citizens who formed in 1991 with a shared love of wilderness and are dedicated to protecting it. It is a rugged trail that traverses sandy beaches, boulder fields, and coastal bluffs, and it can be hiked in 2-3 days, Death Valley Cottonwood-Marble Canyon Loop, CA, Smoky Mountains National Park Loop, NC / TN. 19777 Greenley Road Some of the Emigrant still includes cattle grazing allotments, and you may encounter cows or their signs from July to September. I didnt see any signs of fish, so I continued hiking to Buck Lakes. The two times Ive done this loop the crowds were extremely thin, so we never had to search for campsites. Granite basins carved by glaciers, jeweled with lakes, and speckled with wildflowers attract visitors to the Emigrant Wilderness. Watersheds drain to the Stanislaus and Tuolumne Rivers. Trail engineers had carved stairs into the granite in a few sections, and we marveled at the high cliffs along the way. How many trails are in Emigrant Wilderness? The weather forecast for the trip showed clear skies. For this trip, we decided to explore several lakes in the southwestern portion of Emigrant. After our cross-country foray, we welcomed the sight of groomed trail and our speed increased. Explore Gardisky Lake; Explore Ansel Adams Wilderness. The Crabtree Trailhead is about three hours from Californias Bay Area. Top 10 Backpacking Trails John Muir Wilderness; Emigrant Wilderness; Explore Granite Chief Wilderness; Explore Golden Trout Wilderness; Jennie Lakes Wilderness; Destinations . Choice to use NF parking lot, or pay at Kennedy Store (puts you 1/2 mile closer to trailhead). Sometimes on marked trails there are very obvious signs that say no fires above this elevation. The closest snow to the bay is in the Sierras. We then added crushed bean chips and turkey jerky. I used my GPS a bit in this area to make sure we were going the right direction. (Why?). There is bear activity in this wilderness. Emigrant Lake has county recreational facilities and good amenities, including several campgrounds, two developed boat ramps and more. A ranger that I met on the trail the day before said that hed heard anglers catch 25-inch trouts there. The best troutin is in the more remote lakes, many located in the southwestern portion of the area. Much respect! There are few crowds and tremendous beauty. TDD (209) 533-0765, Summit Ranger District Of course, we did exactly what we should not have done: we went too far to the north east and reached a dropoff. There are opportunities to camp at every lake, with plenty of spots featuring man-made fire rings. Thankfully, a group of us were all able to get time off, so we set off for the mountains! ( Backpacking Hyatt Lake, Emigrant Wilderness (2D/1N) Trip Details: Total distance: 13.0 miles Total elevation gain: 2,527 feet Route Type: Cross country out-and-back Wilderness Area: Emigrant Wilderness, Stanislaus National Forest Season: Early (early June in a low-snow year) Which it did! The Emigrant Wilderness is a landscape of incredible beauty with broad expanses of granite peaks, glacially sculpted gorges, alpine lakes, mountain streams, and deep canyons. Steep incline hike in the Emigrant Wilderness starting at Sonora Pass (108) and ending at Blue canyon lake, a glacial tarn sitting bellow a series of beautiful peaks. There is a variety of trailheads the angler can use as departure points. Everyone seemed more keen to get to camp and then explore more, so we did not visit Sardella or Upper Lewis Lakes, but took a quick rest at Ridge Lake before continuing to Iceland Lake. There is not much mosquito. The temperature had gone from freezing to summer in the hour I had been on the trail. This trail is 8.5 mi long with an elevation gain of 1,555 ft. Crabtree Road is not paved, but 2WD cars are just fine. For more info on how to protect your food (and Sierra Bears) check out the bear section. Centipede at Grizzly Lake, Emigrant Wilderness, insect, Stanislaus National Forest. I also planned to do some off-trail exploration in the high country. But, we didnt have far to hike, so we enjoyed our breakfast and sleep. After spending over an hour at the camp enjoying our snack lunch, we decided to do a little cross-country navigation over to Pingree Lake. Hike to above Relief Reservoir. For trips entering Yosemite National Park Wilderness from the Stanislaus National Forest and staying overnight at Kibbie Lake or Lake Eleanor (near Cherry Lake), you must call the Groveland Ranger District 1 day in advance of your trip. Check out the links in the side bar for more info from the Stanislaus National Forest. The trout leaped into the air several times before accepting its fate. This trail is 8.5 mi long with an elevation gain of 1,555 ft. Please enter your username or email address to reset your password. Where: Emigrant Wilderness, Stanislaus National Forest. According to users from AllTrails.com, the best lake trail to hike in Emigrant Wilderness is Gianelli Trail to Chewing Gum Lake, which has a 4.7 star rating from 315 reviews. By the time I got to the top of the ridge separating Buck Lakes and Emigrant Lake, it was once again warm enough that I could ditch my fleece. There are also two First Come, First Served designated USFS campgrounds on the road: Baker and Deadman. Gaps in the trees offered occasional glimpses of granite cliffs and the views ahead. According to users from AllTrails.com, the best place to hike in Emigrant Wilderness is. Permits are required for overnight trips. However at this time of year, only a few stagnant pools remained. What is the longest lake trail in Emigrant Wilderness? It takes an average of 4 h 4 min to hike. Pets must be kept on leash or under immediate voice control at all times and are not allowed to harass wildlife. Like much of the Sierra Nevada, the Emigrant Wilderness is a land of endless granite landscapes carved out by glaciers and water over millions of years. Kibbie Ridge, Kennedy Meadows, Crabtree and Bell Meadow are the most frequented. To get to the lakes, we had to hug the ridge to our left, due south west. However, if you are not used to high altitude (elevation is about 8,500 feet) you might suffer from altitude sickness and get tired easily. The park's runner-up is Gianelli to Black Hawk Mountain, which will get you 1,779 m of elevation gain. CaseyKaty This trip begins at ~7500 feet at the Box Springs Trailhead This trail is at the end of Forest Route 3N20Y. Official websites use .gov A .gov This trail is well-blazed and mostly dirt. My water bottle had frozen overnight, but I slept warm. Emigrant Wilderness and Sachse Monument Loop. Chewing Gum Lake is no exception. (A 9:00 hour day, 17.1 miles, 4,000 feet of elevation gain). There are 12 lake trails in Emigrant Wilderness. The water was so clear, we were a little sad that our day was too short to stop and soak in them. This trail is 8.5 mi long with an elevation gain of 1,555 ft. Days: 2 days, 1 night. Permits are required for overnight trips. To the north and east one finds terrain dominated by lava-capped summits with fields of granite spanning for miles. Im normally not a fan of wilderness reservoirs, but Relief is pretty. Super 8 Gardnerville Topaz Lake, Gardnerville, 32 miles away: Kirkwood Mountain Resort, Kirkwood, 33 miles away: Best Western Topaz Lake Inn, Gardnerville, 33 miles away: Lazy Z Resort, Twain Harte, 33 miles away : Ski Areas Near . There arent any excruciatingly long climbs, and the weather is pleasant well past August. Some of the extra weight could be offset by not bringing a tent as there wouldnt be any mosquitoes this late, and there was no rain forecast either. No holding of more than 4 head of stock within mile of the following lakes:, Gem, Jewelry, Long, Maxwell, Pingree, Piute and Rosasco. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Casey and I have a penchant for off-trail exploring and navigation, and the Emigrant is a granite wonderland perfectly suited to this endeavor. Long Lake is one of the numerous lakes in the Emigrant Wilderness enlarged by a rock dam at the outlet, which keeps the stream flow steadier throughout the summer. I passed through some of the most impressive granite landscapes of the whole trip. We hustled downhill, except for a surprisingly steep uphill right before the trail junction, again stopping for another snack/ lunch and water filtering break at Grouse Creek. Lots of river access along the way which was great for a hot weekend. A one-night, 32-mile trip starting at Hunting Hollow, passing Kelly Lake, Coit Lake, and Pacheco Camp on the way to Mississippi Lake. The granite ridges are smaller in scale compared to Yosemite, but the area offers a true wilderness experience with very few tourists venturing into the more remote areas of the region. When I got to the West side of the lake, I was disappointed to notice that it was a shallow, swampy lake. Beginning at the Crabtree Trailhead, this approximately 4.25-mile hike to Bear Lake is a moderate to potentially strenuous hike. I picked up my Emigrant Wilderness permit at the Summit Ranger Station right after it opened at 8:30 am. Thankfully, this large creek was still flowing well, even in October. #1 Pinecrest Lake Road. Explored new territory off trail. Snowpacks typically linger into June, sometimes later following very wet winters. #8 - Granite Dome Loop via Kennedy Meadows. Hikers with strong backs should also consider packing in a small inflatable boat. Backpack to Bear Lake (Emigrant Wilderness) Pinecrest, California 4.5/5 based on 4 reviews Save View all 6 photos Review Directions Add Photo Details Distance 8.34 miles Elevation Gain 705 ft Route Type Out-and-Back Description Added by Greg Balkin 7 miles roundtrip with a 500 foot elevation gain. Trails: out via Crabtree and back via Bell Meadow trail. Katie is a freelance writer based in Salt Lake City, Utah. Permit and Bear Canister Required. Backcountry permits are easy to obtain without much advanced notice, and trailhead access is straightforward. Enjoy hand-curated trail maps, along with reviews and photos from nature lovers like you. For these reasons, weve explored the Emigrant Wilderness every summer and fall since we started backpacking in 2018. Wanting more privacy, we ventured along to a small tarn just below the lake and found a great spot for our tent. What is the longest trail in Emigrant Wilderness? Highest Elevation: 9200 ft. Park: Stanislaus National Forest (California, USA) Trail(s): Huckleberry Trail, Lunch Meadow Trail. It was much cooler, especially in the shade! Dog friendly. In the spring there will be more options to collect flowing water, but I would not hike this loop without a backup water filtration source. There are no trailhead quotas, but there are group size quotas. The last miles of the trail passed through an old burn area. FAX (209) 965-3372 Please be mindful of falling rocks. The Emigrant Wilderness borders right upon the northern end of Yosemite National Park and is quite a recreation destination. They included a few small cabins, a barn, a hitching post, an outhouse, and various dilapidated items. The streams are subject to heavy runoff from the winter snows and the streambeds are scoured leaving little habitat for much insect activity. Share sensitive information only They were both closed by Sunday, October 18th, though were open earlier in October. But the impact was forceful enough to cause a big bruise and my foot to swell up. We took this loop clockwise, heading in the direction of Camp Lake on the first day. Great weekend backpacking trip. One night camping limit per trip at the following lakes: Bear, Camp, Grouse, Powell, and Waterhouse. Looking for a more strenuous hike? At the trail junction, we turned north and climbed 500ft up a ridge to the intersection with Crabtree Trail, ultimately making our way back to the trailhead. The Big SEKI Loop is a 155-mile loop in the High Sierra in California that can be modified in multiple ways. So you need to know the regulations for where you are and make sure you dont have fires if you reach a certain elevation. I thought we would see the lakes at the ridge, but I was mistaken. The elevation profile is comparable for both options. 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