Heavy snowmelt runoff on 5/5/2012…read more Elevation ~5,130 ft. Difficulty: Moderate. Hiking season: May through October. Accessible from the Johnsville cemetery parking lot.

Thanks to previous reviewer whose info made us check this out. A slippery beginning down a steep…read morelittle trail then levels off to an easy 1/4 mile walk to the falls. Water level is pretty low, so a lot of rocks to jump around on, but not so low that there was no swimming hole. It was so much fun to try to get down to the swimming hole - someone tied a rope line, and our 9 y.o. was able to "rappel" down to the area, as were many other kids. They all had a blast swimming in the icy cold water, and jumping off the rocks. If it was 20 degrees warmer in the water, it would have been filled with adults, too. Nice crowd, too, not rednecky, just families from the nearby campground. Check out the local cemetery while you're here, just don't leave any trash -- people do, and it's just too annoying to pick up after them. Leave no trace, please.

Absolutely breathtakingly, beautiful day hike in Graeagle Lakes Basin Area that is not quite 2…read morehours from the Carson City area. Easy directions that has signs that will guide you right to the trailhead with as the other reviewers noted very limited parking but this hike is WELL worth it. With your choice of going to fish at Long Lake or hiking on several different hiking options from the Bear Lakes & Long Lake Loop Trail or take in a more moderate to difficult hike up to Mt. Elwell or Pacific Crest Trail you will not be disappointed by the beautiful nature views plus the four alpine lakes that on this trip in November we weren't brave enough to take a dip in but our Hobey doggy thoroughly enjoyed and we found to be of temperature similar to Lake Tahoe. Big Bear, Little Bear, Cub and Long Lake were exactly what we needed to put us back in touch with the serene vibes of the peacefulness of being outside with nature. Weather, views were stunningly gorgeous, we and our furry companions HIGHLY recommend getting out here to enjoy this easy to moderate hike/loop trail. Enjoy and #moveyourbody !!

I feel like nothing I write will adequately describe the beauty of this place, so I'll let the…read morepictures do the talking for that part. The trailhead is easy to find and off the main road. The road to get to the trailhead is doable in a small car, but take it slow as there are potholes and lots of blind corners. There's a well-maintained bathroom at the start of the trail and good signage. Parking is pretty good, there were plenty of spaces when I went but i could see it getting crowded during the summer months. The trail to long lake is relatively easy, but I wouldn't suggest it for someone with limited mobility. It's also a short hike with almost immediate payoff once you get to long lake, which is BEAUTIFUL. My dog and I elected to keep going past long lake toward the dam, and passed several small pretty lakes and streams on the way there. The trail was a little icy when I went in early December, but nothing too crazy.

Eureka lake is located within the Plumas-Eureka State Park. We initially did not know what to…read moreexpect when we saw the sign for it and had not planned anything around it. The directional sign at the beginning of the gravel road states it is 1.3 miles to the lake and my wife said let's go for it and check it out, so off we went! The rock and dirt one lane road to the lake is narrow and rough. There a few turnouts but it gets narrower as you approach the lake. We would recommend 4wd but smaller vehicles would also be better because of the width of the road. We made it easily with a 2015 Toyota Tundra but had to do some rearranging with other vehicles we encountered going the opposite direction. At the top, the parking lot is big enough for about 15 cars and the views are amazing!!! There were several people wading and swimming in the lake and we also saw a small kayak. We personally thought to ourselves "wow that water must be cold this early in the summer!". There is also a trailhead which begins just off the parking area with a directional sign indicating information about hiking to Eureka Peak but we were not prepared and when my wife saw the sign explaining what wildlife was in the area and saw a rubber boa on the list there was no way she was going to proceed any further. We are very glad we decided to explore the area!

Be prepared for a rough dirt road going up. Some may feel they need to be in 4 wheel drive, but…read more hubby felt it not necessary. When you get to the top you experience... what did I hear? SERENITY. Peace! Great place to just experience some outdoor clean air. You can park and go for a hike, or throw a pole in the lake to see what you can catch. Unlike a couple years ago there were only some smaller trout at this lake. If not fishing, you can certainly let the dog(s) play in the water.

We love this state park for camping, hiking, biking, fishing, and especially for the history! It is…read morean old gold mining town, and home to America's first downhill ski races! We love the museum and the volunteers who work there.

I don't want to be the one to spoil the secret, but I recently camped here, and it was incredible…read more I think this will probably be one of my favorite places to camp from now on. I stayed at Upper Jamison Creek, and loved it. I made reservations about a week ahead of time on Reservecalifornia.com My site was very spacious, private, and well shaded. There were lots of redwoods on my site, some purple irises, and even some snow plant. There are a few lovely short trails that run throughout the park, like the one mile hike from the campground to the Visitor Center, or an extra mile to Camp Lisa or the Jamison Mine Complex. From the historic mine complex, the PCT is just three miles away. Or, you can also drive to the trail head and park there. In the other direction, the Trail carries on to a series of alpine lakes and waterfalls. Like other reviewers have said, it was very cold at night. Even in June, I needed both sleeping bags. There are several other amazing hikes within driving distance. If you look carefully, there are some free campgrounds, too. The only time this state park charges fees is to camp at the nicer campgrounds. All parking is free. Showers are free. Plumas Eureka is more accessible than some state parks. They Reserve disabled sites for people with disabled passes, which is something to keep in mind if you have a pass and are looking for a site at the last minute. Lots of gorgeous lakes and opportunities for kayaking, too. Pretty much as good as it gets for a state campground.

After being frustrated in the lack of access for our sedan to many of the lakes in the Lakes Basin,…read morewe looked forward to the easy access and hike to Madora Lake. The trailhead is marked by a sign on the Graeagle-Johnston Road (A-14), and is hard to miss if you are coming from Blairsden in the East. But if you are coming from the main part of the park, the sign faces the opposite way, and it's easy to miss (the trailhead sign is on the north side of the road, about 2 miles east of Park headquarters). There is a short, paved road to the trailhead, and we appreciated the lack of potholes after struggling through many of the forest service's access roads. No formal parking lot, but lots of room to park on the side of the road near the trailhead. A vault toilet is at the trailhead. The trail is 1.5 miles long, a loop around the lake. They are in the process of converting the trail to make it ADA accessible, and in the summer of 2017 parts of the trail could be closed depending upon construction. The whole trail was open when we were there in late August, parts of the trail now flattened and hardened, other parts still the original dusty dirt. Much of the trail goes through pine forest, a beautiful, peaceful setting. A small creek and an unexpected abundance of ferns can be found a small ways past the trailhead. However, if like us, you were expecting to see a beautiful mountain lake, this trail can be a bit of a disappointment. For most of the hike you can't see the lake at all, you are separated from it by the forest. But it turns out you aren't missing much: the lake is more like a large pond, and is rapidly being subsumed by an explosion of water-loving plants. A large number of willows along the lake edge shield the hiker from many lake views, and most views of the lake yield more plants than water. The best views of the lake are halfway through the trail along the north bank. A decent hike, and a good choice for those not prepared for anything strenuous - just maintain modest expectations for the "lake".

The Madora Lake Trail is a very accessible 1.5 mile loop that can be found just off the…read moreGraeagle-Johnsville Road (County Road A-14). Elevation is ~5,025 ft. Difficulty: Easy Hiking season: May to November, with wildflowers best in early to mid summer.

I'm fully in my hiking/camping era at this point, so we decided to take a short drive and check out…read moreFrazier Falls. And honestly? This is my kind of hike. It's about a mile, easy, and paved, so you're not out there fighting for your life...but still has a high payoff at the end, which is really all I'm asking for these days When we got there, the waterfall was actually flowing, which always feels like a win. And on the way back, we cut through some rocks and were able to see where the waterfall starts, which made it even cooler. If you're nearby in early spring, I highly recommend checking out Frazier Falls. Easy, quick, and worth it...basically the perfect low-effort, high-reward hike.

Our favorite hike in the whole area. It comes to mind every time we visit our relatives in…read moreLoyalton.

This is a challenging, strenuous hike but with some absolutely incredible views of 4 alpine lakes -…read morethe spectacular Upper Salmon Lake, . . . then, Horse Lake . . . the pristine, Deer Lake . . . and if you make it to the top, you will also be rewarded with a scenic view of Summit Lake. It is 7 3/4 miles out and back if you go all the way to Summit Lake. Be prepared as this requires a 1,200 foot elevation gain hike, so you will have some very challenging climbs up the mountains. You can, of course, cut the hike short, as I have done twice, and consider Deer Lake the return point. Elevation: ~7,400 ft. Difficulty: Trail around Upper Salmon Lake is Moderate . . . Climbs to Deer and Summit Lakes are stenuous Hiking Season: June to October Gold Lake Highway intersects with Highway 89 approximately 48 miles North of Truckee (1 1/2 miles South of Graeagle). Take Gold Lake Highway for 11.3 miles to the turnoff to the right for the Salmon Lakes. This road will dead end in ~1 mile at a parking lot adjacent to Upper Salmon Lake, from which the trailhead is accessible. Don't start your hike along the lakeside. Rather, from the parking lot, walk back up the road approximately 100 yards to the trailhead, which is marked "Upper Salmon Lake Trail".

.....I definitely underestimated the hike, lol…read more The hike to the fire lookout is about 2.5 miles one way, BUT the incline throughout most of the trail makes the hike a bit of a calves-burner. I'm not a seasoned hiker and I had to take multiple breaks, so much that I took like a 2 min break at each switcheroo point on the switchbacks right before the fire lookout lol (yeah there's even a set of unfriendly switchbacks here on top of the steady incline, hooray). Took me about 2 hours to arrive at the lookout lol but man oh man are the views gorgeous up there. I went on a windy day and I still felt safe climbing the stairs up to the actual lookout; the whole structure is pretty sturdy. Overall I would classify this hike as moderate-hard for people who don't hike often. Wouldn't say that this hike is very dangerous; just wear good shoes as there is a lot of loose gravel on the switchbacks and a couple of times I slipped when going back down towards the parking area. Would I ever do this hike again? Eh, to be honest probably not lol not because the hike itself but because of the long winding highway getting here. Very pretty trees throughout the 49 highway especially during autumn, but 1.5+ hours of driving on this highway (drove through Auburn) was a little too much for me. I definitely don't regret doing this whole adventure though. Google Maps "Sierra Buttes Trailhead" and the directions shown will lead you straight to the parking area/hiking trail entrance.

This hike is unreal. I went 10/13/19. Weather was really…read morewarm. Definitely was comfortable in a short sleeve. I had my dog with me and we were off! It wasn't too crowded. I probably saw 20 people throughout the whole hike. Almost all had dogs so it was very dog friendly! Many had dogs off leash so be prepared for that. I've seen some bad reviews online about mountain bikers but I didn't see very many and the ones I did were really polite and moved right out of the way. Towards the top it got chilly and very windy so make sure to bring some layers if you plan on going up. There are stairs that are extremely steep at the end, but honestly If you don't go up them then there's no real reason to do this hike. The stairs are necessary. My dog was too scared to go up them so I did have to carry him. Once at the top, the views are BREATHTAKING. So incredibly beautiful. Definitely worth the steep incline and quad burning it takes to get there. Whole hike took me about 3 or 4 hours. It was amazing and I highly recommend. I would rate it as hard however, due to the steep incline and loose gravel. You definitely need to be careful and wear good shoes. I fell twice on my way down and that was not fun.

I love Gold lake. Snow camping here is epic if your rig and winch can get you through the icy snow…read moreto camp by the lake! The best part is no one will be here in the cold! Snow hiking is awesome but you can easily get lost! Have fun!

10/21/2023 It's been…read morea very long time since our last visit.. Still have the fishing bug... trying to take advantage of the time and weather... Windy as heck, but the scenery takes it all !!! Next trip, hoping to catch some nice ones!

Visited Portola for the first time last fall and walked this river trail every single morning while…read moreI was in town. It's quiet, scenic, and peaceful. Not strenuous, and it's paved so folks of all abilities could probably enjoy it. If you like exploring the flora and fauna of new places like I do, there's a lot of 'splorin you can do just in this small area. There's an abundance of mountain bird specialities including Clark's Nutcrackers, Steller's Jays, Pygmy Nuthatches, Hairy Woodpeckers, and more! Wildflowers and interesting insects can be found all around too. And keep an eye out for evidence of bears!

Dog loves it daily. Wish we could camp down there like the bicyclists do when they take over the…read morearea and the town.