Marble Mountain PCT Adventure

Lovers Camp TH – Marble Valley – PCT – Shackleford TH= 14.2 miles
- Marble Valley Guard Station / Canyon Creek Trail – 5,890 ft
  - Canyon Creek Trail 5532 from Lovers Camp Trailhead = 3.8 miles
- Little Marble Valley @ 0.6 miles
- Haypress Trail @ 1.0 miles – 6,230 ft
- Sky High Lakes Trail @ 1.5 miles
- Shadow Lake Trail @ 2.2 miles
  - Shadow Lake = 0.3 miles
- Shadow Lake Trail x2 @ 2.9 miles – 6,500 ft
- Red Rock Valley Trail @ 3.2 miles – 6,370 ft
  - Red Rock Valley Trail 5538 to Lovers Camp Trailhead = 4.8 miles
    - Red Rock Trail to Deep Lake Trail Junction = 1.9 miles
    - Deep Lake Junction to Canyon Creek Trail = 2.3 miles
    - Red Rock Valley Trail junction with Canyon Creek Trail to Lovers Camp Trailhead = 0.6 miles
- Cold Springs Trail @ 3.6 miles
- Shackleford Trail @ 5.1 miles
  - Shackleford Trail = 5.3 miles
    - Summit Lake @ 0.7 miles
    - Little Elk Pass Trail @ 1.1 miles
    - Campbell Lake Trail @ 2.3 miles
    - Back Meadows Trail @ 2.7 miles
    - Campbell Cutoff Trail @ 3.2 miles
    - Shackleford Trailhead @ 5.3 miles

Or keep going down the PCT to Shelly Fork Trailhead =16.7 miles
- Kidder Creek Trail saddle / PCT @ ~8.5 miles
- Marten Lake @ 9.8 miles
- PCT / Right Hand Fork Trail 5401 / Shelly Fork Trail @ 12.9 miles from LCTH
  - PCT to Shelly Fork Trailhead = 2.1 miles

Add on Maneaten Lake = ~ 1 mile
- Kidder Creek Trail saddle / PCT @ ~8.5 miles from LCTH
- Maneaten Lake @ ~1/2 mile Crosscountry below west side of saddle

Add on Wooley, Heather, Blueberry, Osprey, Milne, and Kleaver = ~10+ miles
- PCT / Right Hand Fork Trail 5401 / Shelly Fork Trail @ 12.9 miles from LCTH
- Right Hand Fork / Bug Gulch Trail Junction @ 2.5 miles
- Cabin Gulch Trail @ 2.8 miles
  - Cabin Gulch Lake = 1.6 miles (3.2 roundtrip)
- Grants Meadows @ ~ 4 miles
- Cross-Country to Heather Lake saddle above Wooley Lake
  - View down to Blueberry Lake
- Cross over northern ridge to Milne Lake
  - View down to Kleaver Lake, Climb up to Osprey Lake

Marble Mountain PCT

Parks Creek Trailhead to Seven Lakes Basin Spur Trail = 16.5 milesParks Creek Trailhead to PCT/Parks Creek Junction @ 2.8 miles – 6,860 ft
- - Note: Lower Deadfall Spur Trail to PCT junction = 1.5 miles
- PCT/Parks Creek Junction to Upper Deadfall Lake @ 3.0 miles – 7,220 ft
- Sisson Trail 6W06 saddle @ 5.2 miles – 7,410 ft
- Toad Lake Trail @ 8 miles – 7,310 ft
- Porcupine Spur Trail @ 8.3 miles – 7,160 ft
  - Porcupine Lake = 0.2 miles
- Gumboot Trail @ 13.7 miles – 6,510 ft
  - Gumboot Lake = 0.7 miles
- Upper Seven Lakes Basin Spur Trail @ 15.9 miles
  - Seven Lakes Basin Spur Trail 6W12 to Laken Helen = 0.6 miles

Alpine & Smith Lakes – Trinity Alps Wilderness

Distance = ~22 miles
- Stuart Fork Trailhead to Alpine Lake = 8 miles one-way
- Stuart Fork Trailhead to Smith Lake – 10 miles one-way
- Stuart Fork Trailhead to Alpine Lake = 17.4 miles roundtrip
- Alpine Lake to Smith Lake = 4 miles roundtrip
- Smith Lake to Morris Lake = ? miles roundtrip
Season: Mid July – Late September
Recommended Route: Stuart Fork Trailhead to?
Difficult Trail – Steep Climb
Stuart Fork Trailhead
- Highway 3, Stuart Fork Arm of Trinity Lake
- 3.5 miles to Stuart Fork Trailhead
- Bridge Campground nearby
Cross Stuart Fork @ 5 miles in from Stuart Fork Trailhead – Dangerous in high water or after rain
2,600 foot climb from Oak Flat to Alpine Lake over 2.5 miles = 4 hours
- Last 2 miles are steep and exposed
- Water at 1.75 miles from Oak Flat where trail meets outlet
Alpine Lake (14 acres) – Brook Trout3 campsites at lower end of Alpine Lake. Fishing is better in Stuart Fork than Alpine Lake
Trail to Smith & Morris Lakes – 2 miles
- Easier to day-hike due to steep terrain and bushwhacking
  - 1/2 day for 2 miles with backpacking bag
- Trinity Alps Photo Blog – Smith and Morris Lakes
- Avoid during lightening storm
- Smith Lake @ 6,950 feet (24 acres) – Rainbow and Brook Trout
  - Camping on east shore, north of outlet crossing
    - Camping better up at Morris
- Morris Lake (? acres) – ? miles
  - Camping on west shore near inlet
There is an alternative route to Smith & Morris from Canyon Creek Trail or Morris Meadows

Blitz through the highlights of the Sierra Nevada while avoiding the crowds…

Drive to Tahoe through Lassen Volcanic National Park (~7 hours driving)
Stay at Manzanita Lake Cabins
Hike to Sierra Buttes Lookout on the way to Tahoe
Stay at Tahoe State Recreational Area
Stay at Emerald Bay Boat-In Campground for two nights and paddleboard/kayak the lake for a day
Stay in Desolation Wilderness for two nights, hike to Lake Aloha and back
- Camp at waterfall camp
Drive straight to Devil’s Postpile
- Could stay at Grover Hot Springs that night but it burned in the Tamarack Fire of 2011
Drive from Tahoe to Devil’s Postpile (~3.5 hours driving)
Hike Ansel Adams Wilderness from Devil’s Postpile area
Drive Tioga Pass to Yosemite
Drive from Yosemite to Weaverville (~7 hours)
Or Add on Seqouia & Kinds Canyon National Parks
And/Or add on driving back up the Coast

DL Bliss State Park Camping Permits on ReserveCalifornia.com open at 8am PST 6 months before the date:

Note: DL Bliss Campground is not open in 2023 😦

Other Campgrounds to check near DL Bliss:

Camp Richardson
- Camping Reservations
  - $55/night for Single Tent Camping
  - $75/night for Partial Hookup RV (No Septic/Greywater)
  - $85/night for Full Hookup RV
    - Sites 4-35 are close to main road small
- Cabin Reservation
- Resort Map
Emerald Bay State Park
- Lower Eagle Point – Site 77 is private
- Upper Eagle Point – Site 29 is full view
- Boat-In Campground – Site 21 & 22 great view
Fallen Leaf Campground (not on lake)
Kaspian Campground
Meeks Bay Campground
Nevada Beach Campground
Sugar Pine State Park
Tahoe City Recreation Area
William Kent Campground