And finally, we had never been on a backpacking trip north of Mammoth Lakes, so the new location was appealing . From the south, the wilderness is accessible from Cherry Lake, along the border with Yosemite National Park. The two times Ive done this loop the crowds were extremely thin, so we never had to search for campsites. The Emigrant Wilderness is a hiker's paradise, home to striking unspoiled nature: pristine alpine lakes, staggering granite peaks, towering sequoias, and rugged, mountainous landscape. Because of that, I brought 2 sleeping pads and my 10-degree sleeping bag. We took this loop clockwise, heading in the direction of Camp Lake on the first day. 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. One of the shortest routes into spectacular Emigrant Wilderness, the Burst Rock Trail puts the steepest climb at its beginning. It was then designated as Wilderness in 1975, covering an area of 113,000 acres and featuring broad sheets of glaciated granite, peaks, and ridges of volcanic rock. There are pros and cons to each month of the hiking season in Stanislaus National Forest. This page covers all necessary alerts for the area, and from there information about permits, closures, fire bans, etc., can be found. Visitors are required to camp at least 100 feet away from water, trails, and no camping posts. It takes an average of 4 h 4 min to hike. Even so, I wanted to push a bit further so I could walk back to my car the following day. The wide meandering creek flows out of Kennedy Lake, which is pretty, but muddy this time of year. Like Yosemite, it has towering granite mountains and spectacular alpine lakes. The Marines' Mountain Warfare Training Center, the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest, and the Hoover Wilderness form the Emigrant Wilderness' eastern border. This required some steep climbing in the heat of the day, but proved to be a fun adventure. I also planned to do some off-trail exploration in the high country. Emigrant Wilderness and Sachse Monument Loop. 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) Closest Major City: Modesto, California(three hours). We stopped at an overlook right before this trail met up with the main trail that we hiked in on. Where is the best place to hike in Emigrant Wilderness? We encountered thunderstorms on Monday afternoon. Download free stock video footage featuring Reflection of rocky mountains on surface of alpine lake, tilt up and reveal of beautiful valley. The water is plentiful, although you do want to make sure you have multiple filtering options. Secure .gov websites use HTTPS A lock Which lake trail has the most elevation gain in Emigrant Wilderness? Unlike our first two days, we had to get up and hiking early today, since we had miles to hike and a long drive home ahead! But its much less crowded than its neighbor to the South, offering more solitude for backpacking. Be aware that there are no camping signs on the creek side of the trail, so be sure to camp on the other side of the trail. Once in the meadow, we just had to walk across to the trail on the other side! Along the way we met a friendly older gentleman who was going out for 2-3 weeks with his fishing gear. Posted on August 18, 2014. Waste MUST be packed out from November to May. Around the lake, you'll find gentle hiking trails, swimming . The drive from San Jose to Pinecrest Lake is an easy 3 1/2 hours, with minimal traffic to contend with. Food storage: Bear canisters are not required in Stanislaus National Forest, but are highly recommended. Once we broke above the brush again, we had amazing views of Relief Valley and the ridges we were going to crest tomorrow. This peaceful, alpine lake makes for a perfect one day getaway during the summer months and to escape the heat of the foothills. 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. We also contemplated a summit of Granite Dome, but were too tired on the day we hiked to Iceland Lake. The trail is only maintained for part of this route. According to AllTrails.com, the longest lake trail in Emigrant Wilderness is. October backpacking in Emigrant Wilderness. This trip begins at ~7500 feet at the Box Springs Trailhead This trail is at the end of Forest Route 3N20Y. The trail, which is not regularly maintained and may at times be hard to follow, initially descends slightly to 7300', then stays mostly flat before rising just before the lakes. 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. I planned a 3-night trip to Emigrant Wilderness to fish Emigrant Lake and some smaller lakes. Summit District. We dodged a bunch of cow patties, and our group spread out to avoid stomping out a trail through the dead grasses. FAX (209) 965-3372 connected to the .gov website. The Best Backpacking Destinations in Ansel Adams Wilderness; Explore Parker Lake; Explore John Muir Wilderness. The smoky skies made for an amazing sunset and sunrise the next morning. Much like in 2014 when we hiked Guadalupe Peak and El Capitan, my coworkers and good friends John and Michael made plans to explore the wilderness away from our normal haunts by tacking a vacation onto a work-related trip. Drive carefully on Crabtree Road, and look out for horse poop on the trail. The Lake is just as beautiful as usual, but it was crowded on Saturday and Sunday. Choice to use NF parking lot, or pay at Kennedy Store (puts you 1/2 mile closer to trailhead). Whatever you have planned for the day, you can find the perfect trail for your next trip to Emigrant Wilderness. To the north, the Emigrant Wilderness is bordered by the Carson-Iceberg Wilderness and the Mokelumne Wilderness. Ha. Bordered by Yosemite National Park to the south and Toiyabe National Forest to the east, Emigrant Wilderness is a prime destination for solitude-seeking Bay Area backpackers. The evening was chilly, but I stayed warm by my campfire. It looked like the trail didnt get much traffic. Start and end at the Crabtree Trailhead. Be the first to know about new adventures. Edit The trail consisted of loose rocks ranging from the size of a grape to a football. Return via Willow Ridge and Los Cruzeros. Hikers with strong backs should also consider packing in a small inflatable boat. The last few years have resulted in some of the lowest harvests on record as well as a decline in buck age, mostly young forkies are being harvested. Five miles from the trailhead, I ran into a group of hikers. A GPS Track, good navigation skills, and desert hiking experience are highly recommended on this route. #8 - Granite Dome Loop via Kennedy Meadows. We inadvertently found an unmarked trail that would ultimately lead back to the Bell Meadow trail, but that wasnt in our plan so we backtracked. 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. The waypoints mapped here indicate suggested places to camp each night to break up the days, but there are other options out there. Cross-country travel can seem like the exact opposite of Leave No Trace. Also, in October we saw only a handful of other people on trail. We spent one night on an exposed, rocky lakeside and were rewarded with stellar sunset views, but suffered chillier temperatures. I kept going. Saw a bunch of cows roaming around. Sand and dirt are also good choices. (A 9:00 hour day, 17.1 miles, 4,000 feet of elevation gain). This hike has off-trail portions to get to Iceland Lake. The hike between Emigrant Lake and Lunch Meadow is incredible; probably the highlight of the route. This trail is estimated to be 73.9 km long and takes on average 22 h 59 min to hike. So yes, we did go skinny-dipping. The hiking was a little slow going at the bottom here, since the trees were thicker, but we all spread out and tried to pick our best way up the slope. You could easily spend another night up in this basin! On the way, I lost count of the many mounds of berry-filled bear scat we passed. We hiked to the other side of the lake climbed a ridge and has lunch there. In addition, I brought down pants and wool socks to stay warm in camp. As it is, we simply hiked by and tried to etch the images in our mind. Bank anglers will find places to get to . If you are driving in from Hwy 108, the parking lot will be up a hill to your left, right across from Deadman Campground. After a little up and down trying to find nice granite slopes, we were on the right track after we found another cairn. 3-day spectacular Emigrant Wilderness backpacking loop Category Weight Pack 2.47 lb Shelter 1.28 lb Sleep 2.82 lb Worn clothing 2.83 lb Carried clothing 2.95 lb Food, water, and cooking 1.72 lb Hygiene and medical 0.76 lb Electronics & navigation 1.95 lb Other 1.71 lb Total 18.49 lb Worn 4.1 lb Base Weight 14.4 lb Pack Weight qty The last climb up to the trailhead offered a new landscape of volcanic rock and bright-yellow aspen. Permit and Bear Canister Required. There is not much mosquito. This parking lot also has trash cans and pit toilets, and has a water spigot that was not working as of Sunday, October 18, 2020. https://www.fs.usda.gov/detailfull/stanislaus/specialplaces/?cid=stelprdb5361242&width=full Though the weather will be extremely pleasant in the summer, bugs will be out in full force. Heads up, on the drive to access this route you may come across a few creek crossings that may be unpassable or difficult if the water level is high. Elevations range from below 5000 feet near Cherry Reservoir to 11,570 feet at Leavitt Peak. 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