Pinecrest, California

Start by picking up your wilderness permit at the Summit Ranger Station near Pinecrest - (209) 965-3434. There's no quota for this area, so no need for reservations in advance. To reach the trailhead, make your way south from the Ranger Station and turn left onto Crabtree Rd. Drive along this ro...

Chewing Gum Lakes is located in Emigrant Wilderness, South of Lake Tahoe and North of Yosemite, with stunning valley views and gorgeous granite faces, peaking through the tree lines of the Stanislaus National Forest. Sitting just north of Yosemite allows you to take in a portion of the beauty of ...

Getting There Take 108 to Pinecrest Lake to pick up a free backcountry permit at the Summit Ranger Station. (If you reach Strawberry you've gone too far.) Continue past Beardsley Lake to Clark's Fork Road on the left. Cross two bridges and Forest Route 6N06 will take you to the trailhead (County ...

The South Grove Trail of Calaveras Big Trees State Park sees far less traffic than the North Grove due to its increased mileage and distance from the park entrance. The trail starts at the South Grove Trail head which is located nine miles east of the entrance on the main park road. The trailhead...

The Lower and Upper Relief Valleys are beautiful alpine valleys cut by Relief Creek in the heart of the Emigrant Wilderness and are an excellent alternative to Yosemite National Park if you're looking for solitude and no crowds. The East Flange Rock juts prominently over Lower Relief and is an ea...

When thinking of the iconic Sequoias of the Sierra Nevada, one usually thinks of Yosemite and Sequoia National Park. However, there is a often forgotten area of Giant Sierra Redwoods that gets far less traffic than the more popular groves. The North Grove Trail takes you through a grove of over 1...

Hetch Hetchy has a completely different character than other areas of Yosemite National Park, and the hike to Wapama Falls is an excellent way to explore this relatively remote section of the park. You can only imagine what this valley looked liked before it was dammed and is second to none compa...

Situated in the northwest portion of Yosemite National Park, Hetch Hetchy is is a not often visited treasure of the Central Sierra Nevada. In 1913, in an extremely controversial move, work on the O’Shaughnessy Dam was started to provide water to the growing population of San Francisco. Today, Het...

While this is not a terribly scenic hike, the trees, creek, and terrain are very beautiful, and the entire area is quiet and peaceful. You're likely not to pass a single other person on the hike, which is great for letting dogs off-leash.The trail starts off with a series of switchbacks, which ga...

The trail to Wheeler Lake begins at the Woodchuck Basin Trailhead. This trailhead is located a little over a mile east of Lake Alpine on Highway 4. The trail starts off relatively flat and winds through forests and meadows, taking you into the Mokelumne Wilderness. Time it right and you'll be met...

Trailhead Coordinates: 38º 19'08.46"N 119º39'49.26"W Elev 8897ftThe trail is kind of tricky to find. It is West of the PCT trailhead at Sonora Pass and it is not marked. You park along the side of Hwy 108 and scramble down an embankment where a creek flows at the bottom. Cross this creek and you ...

Start: 38º19'08.46"N 119º39'49.26"W Elev 8879ftPark along Hwy 108, head down the bank and across the stream at the bottom. There you will find the start of the trail.This is a challenging hike without much of an actual trail to follow for the majority of it. The hike is very steep in certain are...

The hike to Bull Run Lake is about 7.8 miles, roundtrip, and begins at the Stanislaus Meadows Trailhead, located about 10 miles West of Ebbetts Pass. There is plenty of parking near the trailhead, off of the South side of CA 4. The trailhead GPS coordinates are: N38 30.376' / W119 56/617'Once you...

Lookout Peak in the Carson-Iceberg Wilderness off Highway 4 provides solitude and wonderful views of the surrounding Sierra Nevada including the Mokelumnee and Emigrant Wildernesses. Even on summer weekends you'll likely have the peak and surrounding area all to yourself.Lookout Peak can be done ...

Peep Sight Peak in the Carson-Iceberg Wilderness off Highway 4 provides solitude and wonderful views of the surrounding Sierra Nevada including the Mokelumnee and Emigrant Wildernesses. Even on summer weekends you'll likely have the peak and surrounding area all to yourself. Peep Sight Peak can b...

Situated on the eastern edge of Emigrant Wilderness, Leavitt Lake is a great introduction to backpacking in the Sierra Nevada. Leavitt Lake is located at the end of Forest Service Route 077 off of Highway 108. It is actually possible to drive to Leavitt Lake, but a high clearance vehicle is requi...