From the south, the wilderness is accessible from Cherry Lake, along the border with Yosemite National Park. Daytime temperatures were in the low 60s and nighttime lows int the 20s. Campsite Location Visitors are required to camp at least 100 feet away from water, trails, and "no camping" posts. word of caution is in order. Casey and I have a penchant for off-trail exploring and navigation, and the Emigrant is a granite wonderland perfectly suited to this endeavor. According to users from AllTrails.com, the best place to hike in Emigrant Wilderness is Gianelli Trail to Chewing Gum Lake, which has a 4.7 star rating from 315 reviews. For this evening, we had soaked brown minute rice with dehydrated black beans and a little taco seasoning for about an hour. View a mapof trail distances in the wilderness. Boundary Lake is aptly named as it sits on the border of Emigrant Wilderness and Yosemite National Park and you crisscross the boundaries throughout the trek. The Best Backpacking Destinations in Ansel Adams Wilderness; Explore Parker Lake; Explore John Muir Wilderness. This is an excellent backpacking route in the Emigrant Wilderness. Call the ranger station for more information on these campgrounds. Spread out to reduce the likelihood of creating a use trail in a delicate environment. Immediately I noticed that something wasnt right. Travel & camp on durable surfaces. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. It is mostly granite, but there are pockets of dirt if you need to stake out your tent. 2022 Backcountry Emily Privacy Policy Terms & Conditions. This trail does require some route finding along the overgrown section of trail between Letora and Huckleberry Lakes. Route finding is required, but this is gentle country. 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. Since we went slower in this area on the way in, we almost sprinted through here on the way out, just ready to get back to the cars & find some real food to eat on the drive home! Long Lake is a fetching place, with several good campsites along the western shore. Emigrant Wilderness ~ 6 - 10 August 2007. Ha. Rock and snow are the most durable surfaces to use while hiking off-trail. After a little up and down trying to find nice granite slopes, we were on the right track after we found another cairn. We took a cross-country shortcut to Emigrant Meadow Lake along Cherry Creek, where we stopped for the night at 17:18. Because of the fire ban that summer, we couldnt use any fuel sources to cook our meals. We planned this trip because fire closures canceled other plans, yet this national forest remained open. How many trails are in Emigrant Wilderness? From Modesto, take the 120 toward Yosemite and merge onto the 108 toward Sonora. My Garmin Fenix 6 Sapphire watch and GaiaGPS phone app were great companions to the map & compass. Only later did I remember that I had hit the outside of my foot against a sharp rock. We followed our route over another rise and eventually made our way down the granite terrain to Hyatt Lake for the night. The views are awesome although this time it was a little bit hazy. We stopped at an overlook right before this trail met up with the main trail that we hiked in on. Congress. Their knowledge of traditional non-motorized skills and stock use are invaluable in moving heavy logs and rocks, especially in wilderness where motorized equipment is generally prohibited. For this trip, we decided to explore several lakes in the southwestern portion of Emigrant. I woke up as the sun began to illuminate the mountains. I used my GPS a bit in this area to make sure we were going the right direction. A boat is really handy here to reach many of the best fishing spots. Which lake trail has the most elevation gain in Emigrant Wilderness? This millipede. The area was first protected by the U.S. Forest Service as a protected primitive area in 1931, named after the historical mountain pass that follows the West Walker route over the Sierra. These lake trails have an average 4.5-star rating from 1,371 AllTrails community reviews. In the morning, my foot was feeling worse. Katie is a freelance writer based in Salt Lake City, Utah. We took this loop clockwise, heading in the direction of Camp Lake on the first day. My main concern was to stay warm at night. This is a historic route that is no longer maintained by the Forest Service. Native brown trout can be found in Summit, Lily and Horsemeadow Creeks. 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. According to users from AllTrails.com, the best lake trail to hike in Emigrant Wilderness is. Check out the links in the side bar for more info from the Stanislaus National Forest. Both Salt Lick and Spring Meadows are phenomenal; Long Lakes is an option for sleeping as well. To get to the lakes, we had to hug the ridge to our left, due south west. I thought we would see the lakes at the ridge, but I was mistaken. As we hiked further into the Emigrant, more rock formations began to appear and the crowds thinned. We thought we would try to summit Granite Dome on this day, but most of us were too tired, and when studying the maps, the route up looks much better from Upper Lewis Lake than Iceland Lake. Be sure to file a trip itinerary with the local rangess and obtain necessary permits before heading out into this remote wilderness. The trail followed the edge of a large meadow on the Northside of Upper Buck Lake. Permit and Bear Canister Required. The Backcountry Horsemen of California, Midvalley Chapter (BCHM) assist several National Forests in many capacities, including in Wilderness. I walked down the trail a little bit more, studying the route we should take up the ridge. We enjoyed some flat/ downhill trail as we walked above the reservoir, which was a nice break from the constant up. The road to the trailhead is accessible to most passenger vehicles with decent clearance at low water levels, but high clearance 4WD is needed for any creek fords at high water levels. While the trip is suited for beginner cross-country hikers, please do not take cross-country travel lightly. 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. We sat up at the top for a while, amazed by the amphitheater of sloping granite and patchy trees. A few of the regionally popular patterns fished dry are the California Mosquito, Light Cahill, Black Gnat, Elk Hair Caddis and Joes Hopper. At Huckleberry Lake, I left the main trail and headed up towards Letora Lake. Patches of trees and boulders, NO! SmallMouth Bass Lures and Everything to Catch Bass, From Tent to Fire: Essential Steps for Overnight Camping, Spotting Freshwater Fish and Freshwater Fish Dangers. From the Box Spring trailhead, you can reach the following lakes: Chain Lakes: 5 small lakes less than 7 acres each at 7586' elevation.2.2 miles from the trailhead . All Rights Reserved. While the durable surface is no longer a trail, you should still pay attention to your surroundings. Be sure to bring sun protection despite the season, as there are long, exposed sections across granite before the trail ducks back into the forest. Gently rolling land in front of Buffalo Mountain. Dog friendly. We planned our 32 mile lollipop route using AllTrails Pro, obtained our backcountry permit online, and headed out early Friday morning at the beginning of October. Of course, we did exactly what we should not have done: we went too far to the north east and reached a dropoff. It is a place where the pines, cedars, and firs of the Stanislaus National Forest gradually thin as granite cliffs, mountain tops, and monoliths . Best Hiking Trails in Emigrant Wilderness - California | Gaia GPS United States California Emigrant Wilderness Best Hiking Trails in Emigrant Wilderness 66 reviews fullscreen link Driving Directions Seasonal Popularity J F M A M J J A S O N D 0 200 400 600 Overview Emigrant Wilderness is a protected area in California. Check here to see if you can apply for an online permit. Enjoy hand-curated trail maps, along with reviews and photos from nature lovers like you. 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 Fishing Advice 2021. Gaps in the trees offered occasional glimpses of granite cliffs and the views ahead. 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. At this point, it had been over two full days since Id seen another person, and over a day since Id even seen a footprint. 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. 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Just walking a few miles can make you feel as if you've left the wilderness behind for another one. This is because Kennedy Meadows Resort is private property, but it edges right up against National Forest land. Option to stay in Upper Relief Lakes. Try your hardest to not camp on vegetation, and always try to look for previously impacted sites to concentrate impact. It was fun exploring the camp in such a remote area and it felt like a mini ghost town! Do not take this route, as it is a cliff down to the lake. Summers are generally dry and mild, but afternoon thundershowers occur periodically and nighttime temperatures could dip below freezing anytime. 1 Pinecrest Lake Road If you have to walk through grasses or a meadow, try to identify dry areas, and do not walk in a single-file line if you are with more than one person. The Lake is just as beautiful as usual, but it was crowded on Saturday and Sunday. The views over Huckleberry Lake were some of the most impressive of the trip so far. Elevation: +3000ft. After our cross-country foray, we welcomed the sight of groomed trail and our speed increased. After that, it becomes an off-trail route with little evidence that there was ever a trail. 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.