- Music Creek Trailhead
- 4 hours driving time via Salmon River Rd
- 7 miles round trip hiking distance
- 2 hours hiking time
- ~7100 feet elevation lake
Category: Fall
Clear Creek National Recreational Trail
Follow Clear Creek National recreation Trail through the heart of Siskiyou Wilderness for 22 miles. Swim at isolated Wilderness Falls, fish, and explore the Siskiyou Wilderness in any direction. Consider starting at the top of the trail near Youngs Valley, and heading downstream going in a southwest descent toward the Klamath River.
Marble Mountain PCT
- Marble Mountain Wilderness
- Marble Mountain PCT Adventure
- Seiad Valley Trailhead to Etna Summit Trailhead = 55.8 miles
- Seiad Valley Trailhead to Grider Creek Campground @ 6.5 miles
- Grider Creek Trail at Road 46N72 @ 14.1 miles
- Buckhorn Spring @ 20.8 miles
- Bear Lake – Turk Lake Trails @ 24.8 miles
- Paradise Lake @ 26.4 miles
- Marble Valley Guard Station / Canyon Creek Trail @ 31.7 miles
- Red Rock Valley Trail / Cold Spring Trail @ 35.0 miles
- Older PCT route to Kidder Lake Trail @ 40.2 miles
- Shelly Fork Trail / Shelly Meadows Trail @ 44.6 miles
- Etna Summit @ 55.8 miles
Mt Eddy PCT
- Scott Mountain Summit to Trinity Divide = 37.3 miles
- Masterson Meadow Saddle @ 4.4 miles
- Bull Lake Saddle @ 12.3 miles
- Parks Creek Road 42N17 @ 20.7 miles
- Upper Deadfall Lake @ 24 miles
- Porcupine Lake spur trail @ 29.4 miles
- Road 40N30 @ 35 miles
- Trinity Divide @ 37.3 miles
Mt Eddy PCT Highlights
- 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
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- 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
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Bear Lakes – Siskiyou Wilderness
Bear Lakes are a moderate 3.15 miles to Bear Lake from the Elbow Springs Trailhead in Siskiyou Wilderness. The primary lake lies at an elevation of 4,850 feet with a small pond above it, while the harder-to-reach Lower Bear Lake is a steep cross-country scramble drop to 4,300 feet. The Bear Lake Trail doesn’t appear to have a number or official name, but is located off the Kelsey Creek National Recreation Trail #4204 near Clear Creek on Highway 96 in Northern California.
Bear Lakes – Zach’s Adventures Article
Bear Lakes – Oregonnator Blog Post
- 2.85 miles one-way, 1.5 hours hiking time
Sierra Nevada Highlights
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
- Camping Reservations
- 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
Desolation Wilderness Permits: https://www.recreation.gov/permits/233261
Desolation Wilderness Planning Guide with Zone Map: http://desowv.org/files/Desolation_Wilderness_Trip_Planning_Guide_2022_08_18.pdf
Best paddleboarding Spots on Tahoe:
- Carnelian Bay
- Cave Rock
- DL Bliss
- Echo Lakes
- Emerald Bay
Yosemite Camp Sites are reservable 5 months ahead of the date
Yosemite Wilderness Trailhead Maps
John Muir Trail permits ARE NO LONGER through the Yosemite Conservancy only Recreation.gov
Top Trailheads for Permits:
- Happy Isles to Little Yosemite Valley or beyond
- Glen Aulin to Cold Canyon
- Glen Aulin
- Sunrise
- Lyell Canyon (John Muir Trail and PCT)
- White Wolf Campground
- Lukens Lake to Yosemite Creek
- Cathedral Lakes to Half Dome
- Murphy Creek to Clouds Rest
- May Lake
- Porcupine Creek
- Mirror Lake to Snow Creek
https://www.nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/tuolumne-meadows-backpacking-trails.htm
Trinity Alps PCT
- Total Trinity Alps – Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) miles = 18.9 miles
- Hike west to east to avoid northbound PCT travelers
- From Carter Meadows Summit (6,180 ft) heading east:
- 1.4 miles @ South Fork Lakes junction
- 6.1 miles @ Fox Creek Lake junction
- 9.0 miles @ Telephone Lake junction
- 9.5 miles @ Middle Boulder Lake junction
- 12.0 miles @ East Boulder Lake junction
- 18.9 miles @ Scott Mountain Summit trailhead (5,410 feet)
Pacific Crest Trail – Trinity Alps
- Total Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) miles = 18.9 miles
- Hike east to west to avoid northbound PCT travelers
- From Carter Meadows Summit heading west:
- 1.4 miles @ South Fork Lakes junction
- 6.1 miles @ Fox Creek Lake junction
- 9.0 miles @ Telephone Lake junction
- 9.5 miles @ Middle Boulder Lake junction
- 12.0 miles @ East Boulder Lake junction
- 18.9 miles @ Scott Mountain Summit trailhead
Caribou Lakes – Trinity Alps
Caribou Basin 3-5 nights
Crossing South Fork Salmon River at start of Caribou Lakes Trail (fill up on water)
Crossing South Fork Salmon River at start of Caribou Lakes Trail (fill up on water)
View of the South Fork Salmon River drainage from Caribou Lakes Trail
View of the Caribou Basin from Caribou Lakes Trail
Descending into Snowslide Lake on Caribou Lake Trail
Snowslide and Lower Caribou Lake from Caribou Lakes Trail (smoke from wildfire)
Snowslide Lake
Snowslide Lake and headwall
Snowslide Lake
Camping at Snowslide Lake
Camping at Snowslide Lake
View of Lower Caribou Lake from trail to Upper Caribou Lake
View of Lower and Middle Caribou Lakes from trail to Upper Caribou Lake
Trail to Upper Caribou Lake
Trail to Upper Caribou Lake
Trail to Upper Caribou Lake
Pond near Upper Caribou Lake
Upper Caribou Lake looking toward Caribou Scramble
Upper Caribou Lake
Upper Caribou Lake
Campsite at Upper Caribou Lake
Trail around Upper Caribou Lake
Upper Caribou Lake looking toward outlet
Upper Caribou Lake looking toward outlet
Meadows near trail to Caribou Scramble
Upper Caribou Lake sunset
Camping at Upper Caribou Lake
Lower Caribou Lake
Lower Caribou Lake
Granite slab on Lower Caribou Lake
Lower Caribou Lake
Sunset hammock on Lower Caribou Lake
Sunset hammock on Lower Caribou Lake
Hiking out of Caribou Basin
Hiking out of Caribou Basin looking toward Cesear Peak
Hiking out of Caribou Basin
Brown’s Meadows Creek
Brown’s Meadows
Camping at Brown’s Meadows
Brown’s Meadows
Campsite at Brown’s Meadows
Hiking out on the New Caribou Trail looking toward Coffee Creek drainage
NorCal Adventures 