The trail to Bull Run Lake can be difficult depending on what kind of shape you’re in and how much water is flowing in the streams you have to cross, but the lake is beautiful and a great place to camp.

From the Stanislaus Meadow parking area just off of Highway 4, it’s almost exactly 4 miles to the lake.  You can cut up to a half mile off of that if you drive in on the dirt road to the official trail head.  However, there are some pretty rutted sections of that dirt road that I would not want to take without elevated ground clearance and maybe four wheel drive.

Stanislaus Meadow Trail Head

I parked in the large parking area, about four miles East of Lake Alpine on the South side of Highway 4, and walked the dirt road into the official Stanislaus Meadow Trail Head.  The parking area is at about 7900 feet elevation.  It was a pleasant walk and I wanted to get some video footage anyway.  From the parking area I followed the road for about 0.55 miles to the well signed Stanislaus Meadow Trail Head.

There are no facilities at the parking lot or trail head so plan ahead.  Make sure and bring plenty of water for the hike.

Near the trail head is a junction with the Emigrant Trail that will take you to Mosquito Lakes in one direction and to Lake Alpine in the other.  On some topo maps the trail to Lake Alpine is shown, but the trail to Mosquito Lakes is not.  There is another trail junction further up toward Bull Run Lake that also goes to Mosquito Lakes and some people make a loop out of it.

From the Stanislaus Meadow Trail Head, we travel mostly South down a gentle slope for a little more than a half mile to the signed boundary of the Carson Iceberg Wilderness Area.  Remember that motorized vehicles and bicycles are not allowed in the Wilderness Area.

Continuing mostly South from the Wilderness Area Boundary, or path begins to steepen it’s descent.  This steeper South bound part of the trail continues for a little over six tenths of a mile until we reach a crossing near the headwaters of the North Fork of the Stanislaus River, about 1.7 miles from the parking area.  When I did this hike in early September the river was dry.  However, earlier in the season when the snow is still melting, this crossing can be challenging.  There are several places where people or horses have chosen to cross depending on the rate of flow.  This is the low point of our hike at about 7440 feet.

From the crossing of the North Fork of the Stanislaus River, we begin to climb gently in a Southeasterly direction for about four tenths of a mile where we come to another stream crossing.  Again, when I did the hike this stream bed was also dry but it would not have been just a few short weeks earlier.

From the stream crossing at about 2.1 miles from the parking area, we turn toward the North East, and begin to climb more steeply.  In another six tenths of a mile, or about 2.7 miles from the beginning, we come to the trail junction I mentioned at the beginning of this article.  If we continue North East at this point we can go to Heizer Lake or further on to Mosquito Lakes and Highway 4.  Today though we are going to Bull Run Lake so we take the right fork of the trail which now takes us toward the South East.

For about then next four tenths of a mile our path is nearly level… it won’t stay that way.  At about 3.1 miles from the beginning we start one of the steepest inclines of the hike.  Going steeply up hill we travel first to the South East, then East, then South for a bit less than half a mile where we come to a short level stretch and a small pond on our right.  I know my first reaction upon reaching this pond was great disappointment having mistakenly concluded that this was my destination… luckily the person I was hiking with knew better.

From the pond it’s only another four tenths of a mile (all up hill) until we reach Bull Run Lake at about 8360 feet elevation.  The lake is fairly large and has quite a few great camping spots pretty much all around its perimeter. Being a relatively short hike and a beautiful location, it is a very popular spot for weekend day hikers and back packers.

The hike into Bull Run Lake is easier that the hike to Wheeler Lake.  They both have lots of good camping spots.  One big difference between the two is that the scenery going to Wheeler Lake is very volcanic in nature whereas the hike into Bull Run Lake is like a lot of the Sierras… Granite, Granite, Granite.  In fact, there are some stretches of the trail where you pretty much have to rely on the rock ducks (small cairns) and tree blazes (examples shown in the video) along with map and compass and GPS if you’re lucky.

I hiked this trail on one of the busiest weekends of the year, Labor Day weekend.  I saw lots of people on the trail, some who looked like they were prepared, others who did not.  There are some steep sections, exposed sections, gravely sections, and depending on the time of year, some significant stream crossings.  Bring plenty of water, good hiking shoes, and stay within your abilities.

Elevation Profile

I hope you get the chance to enjoy this hike to Bull Run Lake!

This hike takes us from the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) trailhead at Ebbetts Pass to Noble Lake.  During the mid summer weeks, this trail, like many above 8000 feet elevation, yields a spectacular display of sub-alpine wildflowers.  Unlike the lower elevations where summer heat has already turned the foothills golden, at these elevations spring has just begun.

PCT Trailhead Sign on Hwy 4

We’re going to start our hike from the paved PCT trailhead parking area.  The turnoff from California State Route 4 is about four tenths of a mile North East of Ebbetts Pass.  The trailhead parking area has room for quite a few vehicles but if you find it overcrowded there are several alternative parking opportunities up at the pass.  The trailhead parking are also has a couple of vault toilets.

The actual trailhead is at the Southern end of the parking lot.  At the trailhead you will find an information board about the Carson Iceberg Wilderness Area and a wilderness permit station.  If you plan to spend the night on the trail, you’ll need to fill out one of the wilderness permits available there.

Wildflowers Everywhere

The first part of our journey is on a mostly South bound spur trail that we take for about two tenths of a mile where it meets up with the PCT.  We’re going up hill but at a gradual pace, only gaining a bit over 80 feet by the time we get to the trail junction.  This first stretch of trail is mostly under tree cover but there are some areas where the wildflowers were beautiful.

You also get your first glimpse of the ancient volcanic nature of this area as you approach the PCT.

At the trail junction we’re going to turn left, toward the East.  This is actually the Southbound direction of the PCT and if we were to follow it for a few months we would find ourselves at the Mexican border, East of San Diego, California.  Were we to take the North bound PCT, in about the same amount of time we would find ourselves at the Canadian border.  From end to end, the PCT is 2.650 miles long!  Today however we’re only going to be hiking a small fraction of that.

Volcanic Peaks

After having taken the PCT toward the East (South bound), we continue our gradual climb for less than a quarter mile at which point we turn toward the South, and  then Southwest while heading down hill for about a third of a mile.

On this stretch of trail, off to our right we see what will become a very familiar sight.  Most of the rest of the trail will be in ancient, and highly eroded volcanic landscapes.  You can see the boulders and gravel that at one time were picked up and frozen in the lava that flowed here.  I’ve heard it said that there are some sections of the PCT between the Sonora Pass and Ebbetts pass where a compass is virtually useless because  Magnetite deposits overwhelm the earth’s magnetic field and cause compasses to point in the wrong direction.

First Stream

At the bottom of the gentle slope we’ve been going down, at about seven tenths of a mile from the trail head, we came to the first of several small stream crossings.  Most of these streams appeared to be from melting of nearby snow fields that were quickly shrinking.  I’m sure that a few weeks earlier and these snowfields would have crossed our path and a few weeks later, they’ll be gone.  The fact that the snow is still there and still melting is why, even on July 31st, it looked everywhere as though spring had just arrived.

From the stream crossing we climb, very gently, another 114 feet over a little less than half a mile, headed East.  Reaching a peak in the trail, at about 1.2 miles from the trailhead, we turn toward the North and start heading down hill.

Down Western Side of Noble Canyon

Two tenths of a mile after we start going down hill, we come to a sharp turn to the right which ends up heading us in a Southerly direction, going down the Western wall of Noble Canyon.

This side of the canyon has interspersed sections of open space, tree cover, and several small stream crossings.  The volcanic landscape is interesting enough to take your attention away from the gravel strewn path leading to more that one slip-n-slide moment.

From the turn to the South that we made, we continue another 0.46 miles to a second stream crossing.  In just a about a tenth of a mile we come to our third crossing, and in another two tenths of a mile we come to our fourth.  When we hiked the trail this time, each of these crossings was either an easy step across, or there were easily navigable stepping stones.  I would imagine that depending on how much snow, how fast it’s melting, or if there’s rain, they might be a bit more challenging but for us they were easy to cross and a welcome thirst quencher for Brandi and Chewy, our dogs,

Continuing on, about another third of a mile from the last stream crossing, and now about 2.57 miles from the trailhead, we come to a fifth perennial stream crossing and about a little over a tenths of a mile further we cross Noble Creek.  Noble Creek is still shallow, but wider than this the rest of the streams we cross.  If you’re going to get your feet wet by accident, this is probably where you’ll do it.  Still, though we had to use stepping stones to cross, it was easy to do so and neither of use got wet.

Eastern Side of Noble Canyon

From the crossing of Noble Creek, we start making our way up the Eastern side of Noble Canyon.  This side of the canyon is much more exposed, hot and dry.  Still, the scenery is awesome and there were wildflowers everywhere.

About two tenths of a mile from the Noble Creek crossing, and about 2.9 miles from the trailhead, we come to a junction with the Noble Canyon Trail which takes off to the left, down the canyon.  This trail follows Noble Creek all the way down to near the Silver Creek Campground on Highway 4.

We’ll stay to the right, on the PCT and continue working our way up the canyon wall.

From the junction with the Noble Canyon Trail, we head South, then East for a little over a third of a mile where we come to our seventh, and last, stream crossing on our way to Noble Lake.  Here we start a series of long switchbacks which take us up, somewhat rapidly, almost 400 feet in a little over 3/4 of a mile.

Brandi at Noble Lake

We climb to 8852 feet and then drop down a little to our destination Noble Lake.  The area surrounding the lake has very little to offer in terms of cover so, for me, this would not be a first choice for a camping spot.  I would not want to be here overnight in windy conditions and particularly if there was a threat of lightening.  However, it’s a great day hike and a nice place to come for a getaway picnic or as a rest stop for a destination further down the trail.

So we’ve come about 4.1 miles.  We started at 8595 feet and climbed to 8816 feet in about 0.4 miles.  Then we dropped to 8662 feet in about 0.3 miles and climbed back to 8796 feet in about 0.48 miles.  The next 1.52 miles took us down to 8291 feet followed by a 1.3 mile stretch that took us back to 8853 feet and just a short distance from the lake.  Now it’s time to do it backwards…

This was another great trail easily accessible from California State Route 4.  I hope you get the chance to enjoy it as much as we did.  Remember, depending on snow conditions from the prior winter, the best time to try it might be from late July to early August.

If you’re interested in current conditions, you can try posting an inquiry to our forum or the one on bigtreestech.com.

joe

Hi everybody,

This loop trail in Calaveras Big Trees State Park takes us up and around Big Trees Creek and the South Grove.  Unlike the Beaver Creek Loop, this path stays entirely within the park boundaries and stays on fire roads that are behind locked gates and well maintained.  At a little over 11 miles, with a couple moderate climbs, this trail is great for mountain bikes, good for trail running, but perhaps a bit long for hiking.  However, again unlike the Beaver Creek Loop, this path is mostly under the cover of the forest with fewer completely exposed areas.

We start the trail at the locked gate which is at the end of Big Trees Parkway (the road to the South Grove).  From there, we follow the same path that we did for the Beaver Creek Loop up to the point where the Rail Road Grade takes off to the left.  So from the locked gate, we go about 1/2 mile upstream on the West side of Beaver Creek where we cross it on a good bridge. We’re now going to be heading down stream on the east side of Beaver Creek, but our path goes gently up hill rather than following the stream bed. After another half mile or so, we come to where the Bradley Grove trail crosses our path.  The Bradley Grove trail is a footpath only so don’t take your Dog or Bicycle off the road to explore.  Dogs and Bicycles are only allowed in campgrounds, or on paved roads, and fire trails in the Park.  There is a place to lock your bike at the junction in case you want to go have a look.

A little more than a quarter mile further up the road we come to where we turned sharply left for the Beaver Creek Loop.  At this point, about 1.4 miles into our journey, we’ll stay on the main road and go straight this time.  In just a few more yards  we’ll come fork in the road and take it (I love that line!).  This is where the actual loop part of our path begins and ends.  We’ll be going left, counter clockwise around Big Trees Creek and the South Grove.  You could go the other way, but if you’re going on a mountain bike my personal opinion is that the counter clockwise direction is better because you don’t have as many gravely uphill sections to deal with.

There is a sign at this fork indicating that the path to the right is 5N07, and the path to the left is 5N36.  However, recent topo maps, such as those from MyTopo.com, indicate that the path to the left is actually 5N45.  If you’ve taken the Beaver Creek Loop path already, you’ll  no doubt recognize that 5N07, off to the right, is a continuation of the old railroad grade that used to go through the forest.

After taking the left fork (not 5N07), we’ll very shortly run into one of the steeper uphill sections of or path.  A bit further on and the steepness of the slope decreases but we’ll continue generally up hill until we reach the five mile mark in our trek.

Alpine Gold (Hulsea algida)... I think

When we’ve gone almost 1.7 miles from the start, we find ourselves in a section of the forest that appears to have gone through a forest fire in the not too distant past.  It appears that either the fire or the fire fighters, or both have thinned the forest and the understory in this area.  As a result, this area is also a great place to find a wide variety of wildflowers. In the resources section below I’ve shown a great book to help identify many of the wildflowers you’ll come across as well as most of the other plants, trees, mammals, fish, insects, and spiders you’ll come across in the Sierras.

At about 4.3 miles from the start we come to another one of the areas in the park where its volcanic past is evident.  Much like what was described in the Lava Bluffs Trail article, you’ll see patches of lava and ash mixed with native rock.  There’s a great description of the geologic history of the Sierras in the other resource I have listed below.

After having gone about 4.6 miles, we come, finally, to the highest elevation of our journey.  At this point, we are almost directly above the start of Big Trees Creek which flows South West from here.  We’ve been following its path upstream since shortly after taking the fork onto 5N45 (or 5N36???).  Though we’ve been following its path,  the creek is small enough, and we’ve been far enough from it that we’ve yet to see or hear any evidence of it.  So, don’t count on the creek to replenish your water.  Bring what you need for you and your dogs if they’ve come along.

Barbed Wire Gate at Peak

At the peak here our path will take use around  a bend to the right and we’ll start going down hill.  Right at the peak you may notice a barbed wire gate off to the left, near the main path.  Starting here, for the next four miles or so, we’ll be skirting the southern boundary of the State Park.  Keep and eye on your left and you’ll often catch a glimpse of the barbed wire fence intended to keep free range cattle out of the park.  Keep your ears open and you may hear the cow bells.  You may even run into cattle inside the park if someone has negligently left one of the gates open.  If that happens, make sure you go by the Park’s visitor center and let them know where you saw the cattle.

A short distance from the peak we come to the first of several fairly steep, gravel covered sections going down hill.  For me personally, these are the reason why I like taking the trail in this counter clockwise direction, particularly on my mountain bike.  I’d much prefer to deal with gravel going downhill rather than up hill.

Unmarked Trail

At about 6.3 miles from the start, there is an unmarked trail that goes off to the right.  This trail is obvious and appears to have been built and maintained but does not show up on either the park map or topo maps… the only mystery of the day…  However, we’re staying on our fire trail, down hill, to the South West. In another quarter mile we run into another unmarked trail that also looks purposely built and maintained.  Here again the trail does not show up on either the park map or topo maps.

At about 7 miles from the start we come across another fire trail going South, off to our left.  We’re going to go on past it though since it (5N20) just leads outside the park and is no doubt fenced off. In just a little less than another mile, at about 8 miles from the start, we come to another fire trail leading off to the left.  Here again, we’ll keep to our course bending a bit to the right since this road (5N36 I believe) also leads outside the park and is probably fenced off.

Gate on 5N07

In another four tenths of a mile, at 8.5 miles from the start, our course takes a sharp right.  This is the junction of 5N07 and 5N45 that we’ve been following up to now since taking the fork near the beginning.  There’s a chain link fence across 5N07 to the the left, which is also the Park boundary.  So, our course is to the right, now on 5N07.

At a little over 9 miles from the start we come across a junction with another road that goes off to the left.  It also appears that at one time it crossed and went off to the right as well but that direction has not been maintained.  This road does not show up on topo maps so I can’t tell you what it is or where it goes.  Fortunately, our path is pretty obvious and we’re going to stay on it.

Big Trees Creek

Just a bit further down 5N07, at about 9.2 miles from the start, we finally get our first, and only glimpse of Big Trees Creek.  While the Big Trees are impressive, the creek is not.  If flows under our path in an unflattering corrugated steel culvert.

South Grove Trail Signs

Very shortly after leaving Big Trees Creek behind, we come to where the South Grove Trail crosses 5N07.  The trail is clearly marked, but too often, people who are going out to the South Grove become momentarily confused by this junction and may want to follow you rather than pay attention to the trail signs.  If  this happens, please get them turned around and back on the trail.

5N07 on Railroad Grade

Soon after the South Grove trail crossing, at about 9.3 miles from the start, our path, 5N07, starts to follow the old railroad grade that was uses to haul lumber through the forest.  Where we join the grade you can see an unmaintained section of it going off to the right as our path follows it to the left.   Being an old railroad grade, the slope is gentle and you can see evidence of the tremendous effort that was made to keep it that way. We’ll follow the grade for about seven tenths of a mile as it gradually turns us in a North Easterly direction and takes us all the way back to  the fork where we started our loop.

Coming from this direction, if you look across the road we originally came in on, you’ll be able to clearly see how the railroad grade continues on the other side of the road.  For a description of that path read the article “Beaver Creek Loop”.

We’re now back in familiar territory, on the road that we originally came in on, at the form marked with the sign for 5N07 and 5N36.  So, we’ll turn left toward Beaver Creek, and follow the path about 1.4 miles back to the parking area.

I have hiked and mountain biked this path.  Both were enjoyable, but I thought it was a better for mountain biking than for hiking, mostly due to the distance.  If you’re going to hike over eleven miles, there are some much more scenic trails in the area.

Recommended resources:

Enjoy,

joe

The Lava Bluffs Trail in Calaveras Big Trees State Park gives you a taste of the ancient and recent history of the area.  Its course take you around a loop on the south east facing slope above the Stanislaus River and below the namesake Lava Bluffs.

Trailhead

Along the South Grove road in Calaveras Big Trees State Park, about 4.7 miles from the entrance gate, you’ll see a small sign on the right hand side of the road pointing to the Lava Bluffs trail head.  The trail head parking lot is right off the road.  On the west side of the parking lot you’ll see a large information sign, and the trail starts right behind the sign.

There is a trail guide available at the trail head and I’d highly recommend that you pick one up.  They’re only 50 cents, but well worth the dollar I spent for lack of change.

Before you start this trail, you should be aware of a few things…

1. The trail stays entirely on a Southeast facing slope and there are sections of the trail that are completely exposed.  So, be prepared for the heat and bring extra water.
2. There are sections of the trail that are steep and covered with loose gravel so footing can be sketchy.  This is not a trail for flip-flops!
3. The exposed trail can be a very attractive sunning location for our cold blooded neighbors like rattle snakes.  So, keep your eyes and ears open.
4. There are a couple sections of the trail where Poison Oak seems very happy to live.
5. There are several places where Mosquitoes can be pretty annoying.

That said, it’s a nice trail, not too long, and there’s some great history along the way.

Trail Sign at Beginning of Loop

The trail starts with a bit of a climb but the footing is good at the start.  A little less than 0.2 miles in you come to your first of several of the somewhat steeper climbs.  After climbing from 3900 feet at the trail head to a little over 4100 feet in just a little over a quarter mile, you drop back down to the beginning of the  Lava Bluffs Loop Trail.

At the beginning of the loop there is a small trail sign with an arrow pointing to the right.  However, I don’t see what harm it would do if you wanted to go straight here and do the loop backwards.  It would be really surprising if there were enough people on the trail to cause a traffic jam but I suppose stranger things have happened.

A Steep Section

Soon after starting on the loop you’ll start climbing again for a little less than a quarter mile to an elevation of about 4200 feet.  This section of the trail has some coverage and is quite pretty.

Along the way keep your eyes out for wildflowers. Along this section of trail, when I hiked it, there were quite a few Hartweg’s Iris in bloom.

Hartweg's Iris

First Stream Crossing

After you reach the peak of this climb at 4200 feet, you come back down to a small annual stream crossing at a little over 4100 feet and about 0.7 miles from the trail head.

When I got here, in mid June, the crossing was an easy walk across.  You can’t see it in the picture here, but on the other side of the logs shown crossing the steam bed there were some rocks that were easy to walk across.

After crossing the steam, you start back up hill again.  Now, though, the trail is more exposed and you start getting into the gravel that has washed down from up around the lava bluffs.  Watch your footing.

In this stretch, you often find yourself walking across ancient lava ash covered with a layer of gravel.   This layer of ash was laid down before the Sierra Nevada mountains that we know were pushed up to their current elevation.

Tuff

It looks almost like water swept sand but this formation called tuff, is about 3o million years old and is quite… well, tough.

As you look up the slope next to you to the Northwest, you will begin to see layers of different sorts of rock including this tuff, layers of what appear to be a conglomerate of river rock and lava, and finally a solid lava top layer.

This was created by a series of events including lava flowing down ancient stream beds, mud flows, more lava, etc, etc over millions of years.

Ancient River Bed And Lava

Later, after new steam beds were cut into this deep layered formation, more lava flowed and filled them.  After the ancient volcanoes in the area became inactive, erosion gradually ate away at the landscape.  First at the top layer of lava, and once through that, it gradually washed away layer after layer of the rocks below.

When you reach the next peak, at a little more than 4200 feet, and about 0.9 miles from the trail head, you’ll have a good view of the bluffs above you.  To the South, down the Stanislaus River valley you should be able to also see the McKay Reservoir.

The Lava Bluffs

What make lava bluffs you see today are the remnants of the later lava flows that filled what were then stream and river beds.  Because the lava was deeper there, than in surrounding areas, it has taken longer to erode and expose the softer material below.  You can see the same sort of formations in many nearby locations, like Table Top Mountain.

A little further down the trail there is a spur trail that you can take to get a better view of the Lava Bluffs.

We’ve reached the tallest point of the hike now.  For the next half mile or so we’ll be scrambling down over gravel strewn trail.  Here again, watch you footing.  We’re making our way down to a piece of history that is quite a bit more recent than the Lava Bluffs.

Trail In 1850's Ditch

At a little over 1.4 miles from the trail head we will have worked our way down to a little under 4000 feet.

Here, we’ll take a sharp left turn onto a trail that looks like it’s going down the middle of a ditch.  In fact, that’s exactly what it’s doing!

During the Gold Rush, the area in and around Murphys was a thriving placer gold mining location.  The problem was that there were no reliable, year around water sources to use for washing the tertiary gravels that were being mined for gold.  So, a few enterprising individuals formed the Union Water Company and bought or built a series of ditches and flumes that brought water from the Sourgrass on the Stanislaus  River, all the way to Murphys and Angels Camp.  It’s amazing to realize that they put all this in using picks, shovels, and mules back in the early 185os.

Flume on Murphys Grade Road

By the way, I’ve read that their undertaking was so successful that they managed to inundate Murphys and ended up blasting a gorge almost a mile long in order to drain it.  You can still see parts of the old flume system used today to supply Angels Camp with water along Murphys Grade Road.  This flume system has been burnt in forest fires and replaced several times over the years.  The last time was in 2001.

The Lava Bluffs trail follows one of the ditch sections upstream for about a half mile.  This is the most level section of the trail for obvious reasons.

At about 1.9 miles from the trail head, we’ll leave the ditch and start uphill again.  In three tenths of a mile we’ll reach the next crest at about 4100 feet.  About half way up the hill we’ll come to another small annual stream crossing.  This is actually the same stream we crossed earlier, just a little further downstream.  Here again, when I crossed it was a simple walk-across.

Sierra Dome Spider Web

One of the marvels of the forest that I had never seen before hiking n Calaveras Big Trees State Park is a natural engineering wonder.  This picture does not do it justice.  The Sierra Dome Spider builds its web along with a complex set of tension lines such that it forms an inverted dome.  It really is amazing when you look at it closely.  Keep your eyes open for them.

From the last crest at 4100 feet there’s about six tenths of a mile to go back to the trail head.  There’s some up and down but it’s generally down hill back to about 4000 feet.

Remember the rules of the park… no dogs or bicycles on the hiking trails.  Don’t remove anything from the park.

Hope you get a chance to come out to the park and enjoy the hike!

For more information about the Union Water Company and history of the area you might want to pick up a copy of this book:

Pinecrest lake is a very popular destination in the western Sierras!  Located just a bit off of Highway 108, at an elevation of 5600 feet, it offers a refreshing change of scenery to many visitors from the Central Valley and Bay Area.  Unlike Lake Alpine on Highway 4, Pinecrest Lake has a relatively highly developed resort sort of feel to it.

There’s a lot offered at Pinecrest Lake including swimming, boating, fishing, camping, picnic areas, restaurants, etc.

The lake has a surface area of about 300 acres.  There are designated, buoyed, swimming areas where no boats and no fishing is allowed.  The swimming area is near the main parking area, right off the day use beach.

One thing to note about Pinecrest Lake… it is NOT dog friendly.  Dogs are not allowed in the Day Use Area between May 15 and September 15.

Another thing to note is the reason given for the restriction on dogs… “because of the very high visitor use”… This is a VERY popular place.  If you’re planning on going up on a weekend or holiday, get there early or you may not find a parking place.

There is a very nice picnic area with a beach and the swimming area near the main parking lot.  There are 50 picnic sites with grills and plenty of extra space if you don’t need to use their tables or grills.  There is also piped water and flush toilets in the day use area.

Just to the north of the Day Use Area you’ll find the Marina, Snack Bar and Boat Ramp.

The Marina offers rentals of Canoes, Kayaks, Paddle Boats, and even small motor boats.

Motor Boats are allowed on the lake, but there is a speed limit of 20 MPH, and 5 MPH in designated areas like near the swimming area, dock, etc.  So don’t plan on doing any water skiing at Pinecrest.

For those of you planning on bringing your own boat, or RV, there is a designated parking area specifically set aside for vehicles with trailers or RVs.  However, when things get busy, some of the parking spots are bound to get filled by other visitors desperate to find parking so plan ahead and come early.

Near both the Day Use Area, and the Marina you’ll find a variety of shops including a General Store, A nice restaurant, a bike shop where you can rent a bike for the day, and the Pinecrest Resort.

The General Store sells everything from Groceries for campers to fishing gear, to floaty toys for the kids.

Speaking of campers, camping is one of the biggest attractions at Pinecrest.  There are 3oo campsites in two separate campgrounds.  The campgrounds have flush toilets and running water.  There are also 3 different group campsites.

One of the campsites, Pinecrest Campground,  has quite a few sites located just across the street from the lake.  Many, if not all the sites in this campground are within easy walking distance of the beach, general store, etc.

The other campground, Meadowview Campground, is located over half a mile further to the west so often times campers at these sites will ferry kids and gear over to the Day Use Area.

The town of Strawberry, just up the road (North) on 108 from the Pinecrest Lake turnoff, has a larger general store as well as another nice restaurant.  They also have cabins for rent in the area.

In case you want to “get away” in the area but don’t want the beach and crowds, there’s plenty of other things to do in the area.  From the turnoff for Pinecrest Lake, if you take the road up toward the Dodge Ridge Ski area, you’ll come across signs directing you to several popular hiking trails in the area.  There’s also a driving tour called the Sierra Grandstand Tour located in the same region.

If you plan on hiking in the area I’d suggest checking with the ranger at the Pinecrest Lake turnoff regarding permits, trail conditions, etc.  If you don’t already have a good topo map of the area, pick one up while you’re there.  And, if you came completely unprepared, I’m sure you can get a compass either at the Pinecrest or Strawberry general stores.

Another activity we stumbled across in the area is provided by the Aspen Meadow Pack Station.  They’ll take you on a horseback ride for anywhere from an hour to a whole day in the beautiful western Sierras.  They provide animals and  services for longer pack trips.

We ran into a group of new riders just getting started and it looked like they were having a blast!

Take a look at the map at the beginning of the article to see where things are located.  The downloadable KML file can be used in Google earth, and the gpx file, once unzipped, can be used in a lot of GPS devices

As always, use at your own risk!  This is an outdoor activity.  You should rely on your own experience, knowledge and judgment when deciding where to go or what to do.

Lake Alpine is a wonderful place to come in the Sierras.  It offers just about everything you could ask for at a mountain lake and then some.

Lake Alpine is located right on Highway 4, just a little past the turnoff for the Bear Valley Ski Area.  It is located at 7400 feet and is past the gate where they stop plowing snow in the winter so Summer and Fall are the best times to visit unless you bring snowshoes or cross country skis.

The lake is open to swimming and boating but boats have to stay at trolling  / no wake speeds so it’s a great place to go canoeing and kayaking.

There are also numerous hiking trails around the lake and some awesome fire trails great for mountain biking.

There are four campgrounds, two located at the west end of the lake and two more located at the east end.  Silvertip and West Shore campgrounds are at the west end.  Pine Martin and Silver Valley are at the east end.

There are several nice picnic areas on the North Shore of the lake as well as several bathrooms, some with running water.  Also on the North Shore is a well maintained, almost level, paved, wheel chair accessible walking trail that stretches all the way from the West end of the lake to the East end.

There is a Boat Ramp and ample parking at the West end of the lake.  There are also numerous places along the lake where you can pull out and walk to the shore, launch a kayak, or just enjoy the view.  At the East end of the lake there is another, smaller parking lot and easy access to the shore.

The Lake Alpine Lodge is located just across the street from the lake at the West End.  The lodge has a small general store where you can buy everything from groceries to fishing tackle.  They also have a very nice restaurant with indoor or outdoor seating.

You can also rent cabins at the lodge if you’d like to stay for a while but don’t want to camp.

In addition to the Lodge, right down the road, a couple miles west, is Bear Valley Village.  Here you can rent bikes or Kayaks , or fill up your gas tank at the Bear Valley Adventure Company do some grocery shopping, eat at the Bear Valley Lodge, or any number of things a this great year around resort.

On your way up the mountain from the west you can also stop in Arnold at Sierra Nevada Adventure Company and rent a Kayak or Canoe.  Also make sure you stop at Ebbetts Pass Sporting Goods to stock up on any camping or fishing gear you might need.  It’s also a great place to go to get the latest fishing report for the area.

So, Come on up and enjoy the mountains!  Lake Alpine offers you the opportunity to take it as you please with everything from relaxing on the deck at the Lodge with your favorite beverage watching the clouds roll by, to heart pounding adrenaline fueled mountain bike trails.

Directions.