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!

Wheeler Lake Trail Elevation Profile (one way)

This trail takes us up to the top of what some folks call Wheeler Ridge and then down to Wheeler lake from the Woodchuck Basin Trailhead off of California State Route 4.  In the late summer at these elevations the snow is just melting off and wildflowers are bursting from the ground almost everywhere.

Before we get started with the trail description, let me throw a little caution your way.  While this trail is not too long, it is almost all up hill or down hill, sometimes steeply, often on exposed slopes, at elevation.  Know your physical abilities and stay within them.  Also, be aware of Sierra mountain weather.  It can go from clear skies to thunder and lightening very quickly!

Woodchuck Basin Trailhead Sign on Hwy 4

We start our trek at the Woodchuck Basin Trailhead parking area which is located about 1.2 miles North-East of the North-East end of Lake Alpine on California State Route 4.  This dirt parking area is fairly large but this is also a very popular trail for day hikers, equestrians, and backpackers so on busy holiday weekends it can get a bit crowded.  If you have 4 wheel drive, you can actually drive further up the dirt road leading to the actual trailhead and perhaps find a spot.  On the weekend we hiked the trial, parking was abundant.

Remember that this trail goes into the Mokelumne Wilderness area so only foot or horse traffic is allowed.  No bicycles and no motorized vehicles.

Woodchuck Basin Trailhead

From the trailhead parking area, we follow the narrow dirt road a little less than a quarter mile, generally North, to the trailhead sign.  This path takes us up a gentle slope under tree cover.  You may notice multiple fire rings along the way.  When large equestrian groups come up, you’ll often find these rustic campsites occupied.

From the trailhead sign we continue up hill with a slightly increased slope.  We go about a half mile in a North North-east direction for about a half mile to the easy crossing of intermittent Silver Creek.

This section of the trail is wooded and we begin to get a taste of the wildflowers that await us on the other side of the ridge.  Click on the thumbnails for larger images…

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Silver Creek Crossing

Crossing Silver Creek was a simple step-over for us.  We’ve come a little less than 3/4 of a mile so far and the approach to Silver Creek has been a pleasant, shallow, grade with lots of wildflowers to encourage us forward.

The trail immediately following the creek crossing takes us through a beautiful meadow as we approach the wall of volcanic rock that forms the rim of Woodchuck Basin.

This is a good opportunity to take a break, take some pictures, and get well hydrated because soon we’ll be making our way up the basin wall toward the ridge line.

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Wilderness Area Sign

Less than two tenths of a mile from Silver Creek, or about 0.87 miles from the beginning, we come to the well marked beginning of the Mokelumne Wilderness area.  Up to this point we have been heading mostly North, making our way up the slope of Woodchuck Basin  toward a domineering volcanic wall.  After the sign for the wilderness area, we turn toward the West and begin the steady trudge traversing the basin wall, making our way steadily up hill, now at somewhat less gentle slope.

Up to this point, the trail has led us through a mostly wooded landscape.  That is about to change.  As soon as the trail turns to the west, and begins the climb up the slope of the basin wall, we notice that the cover becomes more sparse, and the track drier and more gravel strewn as we go.  For about the next two tenths of a mile, as we continue to climb we are still treated to plenty of mountain wildflower eye candy but it gets thinner and thinner as we go.  Also along this stretch we begin to be able to look down into the valley to the South and see Lake Alpine  as well as  Utica and Union reservoirs.

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Exposed Climb Up Basin Wall

Finally, at just a little over a mile from the beginning of our hike, and a couple tenths of a mile since we turned toward the west in the Wilderness Area, we find ourselves on the completely exposed, mostly South facing slope above Woodchuck basin.  From here up to the ridge top there is virtually no cover and the trail goes pretty continuously up hill.

We have already gained almost 630 feet in elevation to about 8382 feet.  Over the next nine tenths of a mile we’ll gain another 377 feet where we’ll reach the ridge overlooking the valley where our destination lies.

View From the Trail

To compensate for the exposed conditions on this stretch of the trail we are granted wide open vistas of the Dadanells and beyond.

From the point where the exposed section starts, it’s about eight tenths of a mile until we first reach the.  At this point, we look down into Underwood Valley to the North-West, and Mount Reba almost directly to the West.

At this point there are spur trails off to the East and West that follow the ridge line.  However  we’ll follow the main trail which now turns to the North East and up for another tenth of a mile or so.

Last Up Hill Stretch

This last uphill section is now on the North West facing slope of the ridge and the conditions are dramatically different than they were on the other side.  Here, instead of a bare, sun beaten slope, we’ll often times find the trail blocked by snow all the way into late summer.  We also pick up some tree cover for a brief time.

View From The Top

At the end of our almost continuous up hill journey, we’ve come about 1.98 miles and gained over 1000 feet in elevation to 8758 feet.  We are met here by spectacular view down into Avalanche Meadow below, and the mountains in the distance.

If the late summer snow hasn’t already turned you back, this is a good place to stop for awhile, assess your strength, stamina, and water supply.  The trail section that comes next is even steeper than the one we’ve just come up and the first part of it is again on an exposed slope.  Add to that that the first part of the remaining trail is down steep switchbacks on loose scree making footing unsure.

That said, if you’re up to the task, what awaits you down in Avalanche Meadow and Wheeler lake may make it worth the effort.  Just make sure you know you can hike out once you have committed by hiking down this slope.

Looking Back Up Switchbacks

So, from the top of the ridge we continue down a rocky set of switchbacks for the next 500 or so feet, quickly losing about 130 feet in elevation.  Keep your eyes open because there are several “false” trails where people have either accidentally or on purpose cut off some of the switchbacks creating much steeper and more difficult alternatives.

At the bottom of the switchbacks we continue North East in a more direct fashion, now entering the wooded forest floor.  Our elevation loss (gain coming back!!) continues to be fairly steep but the footing is better than it was on the switchbacks.

Unnamed Intermittent Stream

We continue North East from the switchbacks for a little less then two tenths of a mile where the trail turns to the South East, toward the inside of a bowl formed of volcanic rock, and Avalanche Meadow.  Just a bit further on, now 2.32 miles from where we started we come to our second intermittent stream crossing.

From this intermittent stream we continue South East for about 3 tenths of a mile still making our way down the North East facing wall of the gigantic bowl.  At that point, about 2.6 miles from our beginning, the trail turns North East.

As we get deeper into the bowl, it’s obvious that there is much more water and the conditions are much less harsh than on the ridge line.

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Continuing now to the North East for less than 2 tenths of a mile, we come into the stunning Avalanche Meadow and our closest approach to the babbling creek that flows out of it to feed Wheeler Lake.  Fed by melting snow around the bowl that surrounds the meadow, the wildflowers here were amazingly prolific and were growing almost head high.

Avalanche Meadow

At this point, about 2.78 miles from where we started, we’ve dropped back down over 600 feet from the ridge top.  The area in the immediate vicinity of the meadow has a shallower slope than that leading up to it or that which lies ahead.  It’s really an awesome place to take another break, take a bunch of pictures, and get hydrated.

From Avalanche Meadow we turn toward the North West and travel down an increasingly steep slope for about 1/3 of a mile to the Wheeler Lake basin.  In just a few hundred more feet, we come to a trail marker indicating that we are at the junction of the Sandy Meadow trail to the right and Frog Lake trail to the left.  Straight ahead is our destination, Wheeler Lake.

Wheeler Lake South Shore

Wheeler Lake is a very attractive lake for camping because it has quite a few good camping spots near the lake but under forest cover.  We started down the trail toward Frog Lake, around the South end of the lake.  Just a little ways off the trail under nearby trees to the West, we saw several inviting camp sites.  We also saw plenty of evidence that this area is sometimes frequented by range cattle which I suppose could dampen the camping experience.

At the point where the Frog Lake trail begins to move further from Wheeler Lake, we made our way, easily, cross country toward the North shore of the lake.  We stopped at a point that looked like a nice campsite and had lunch.

Wheeler Lake North Shore

From the North shore you can look back and see the volcanic bowl that feeds Avalanche Meadow and Wheeler Lake.

Well, we’ve come almost three and a half miles now, and the mile coming down from the ridge line into the Wheeler Lake basin was fairly steep coming down.  But, as usual…. it was much steeper going back up!  Unless you are in tip-top condition, and completely acclimated to the elevation, coming back up to the ridge from Wheeler is definitely a place where you want to pace yourself and take lots of breaks.

Once you make it to the ridge then, as they say, “it’s all downhill from here”.  Also, since most of the trail coming back down from the ridge is not as steep as on the other side I found that I was able to maintain a good pace all the way back to the parking area.

I hope you’ve enjoyed this trail description and the pictures I’ve shared here.  I also hope that someday you get to enjoy some or all of the trail as much as I did.  Just know your limitations and don’t get yourself stuck in a situation you can’t get out of.

I’d love to hear your comments!

joe

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.