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    Pine Marten Campground

    5.0 (1 review)

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    Lake Alpine - Moody afternoon

    Lake Alpine

    3.7(43 reviews)
    1.3 km

    Alpine Lake offers an idyllic retreat for outdoor enthusiasts seeking tranquility and stunning…read morevistas. The surrounding terrain boasts incredible natural beauty and a serene ambiance, making it a popular destination for paddling, relaxation, and wildlife viewing. What many fail to realize is that the lake's true splendor is best appreciated from the water, where visitors can immerse themselves in the serene landscape. Nestled amidst the mature coniferous forests along the shores of serene Lake Alpine, the Lake Alpine Campground is one of five scenic camping destinations within the larger Lake Alpine Recreation Area. It is a superb place to paddle and camp! FOr more info: https://www.paddlingcalifornia.com/Alpine_Lake.html

    Beautiful Lake at 7300 feet! I came up to this lake to go kayaking. The water was clear and…read moreperfect for paddling around in Mid-September. Probably a little chilly for swimming, though. There was plenty of irregular cloud cover, and the temperature was in the seventies with a slight breeze. I wore a long-sleeved shirt and PFD and felt comfortable. My paddling companion was wearing a t-shirt initially, but felt cold and had to add layers partway in our circumnavigation of the lake. There are some nearby structures that I guess are privately owned residences nearby. A few others were also kayaking around. I saw one motorized craft tooling slowly around, so it is allowed. Parking was pretty crowded for the number of available parking. Day use parking is $5 available at the store in the lodge building or at the little shack near the boat launch. $10 fee to use the boat launch. The campground host of the Silvertip campground also oversees the camping at Lodgepole campground, about a mile east of the lake where we camped. According to him(Thom), he also patrols the parking in the day use parking and along the shore. If you are staying at the campgrounds and have checked into your site with the host(Thom), the additional $5 day parking fee is waived (wish someone had told us that. We had already paid at the store earlier).

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    Lake Alpine - Along the creek

    Along the creek

    Lake Alpine
    Lake Alpine - Wooded trails

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    Wooded trails

    Silver Valley Campground - Site 5

    Silver Valley Campground

    5.0(1 review)
    1.3 km

    We camped at Lake Alpine's East Shore a couple of weeks ago, and loved it so much, we decided to…read morereturn two weeks later. A week ago, I happened to see an availability for a weekend so I snapped it up. We stayed at Pine Marten a couple of weekends ago, so just down the hill from Silver Valley. Site 5 was just gorgeous. Lots of wildflowers were in bloom on this site. It's a large site, so there was plenty of room for a picnic table, a fire pit, and a few tents. There is even a water spigot conveniently located at the site. There are three vault (pit) toilets on site, and we used all three at some point, and the one that was best was the farthest one from us which by Site 10. No showers but you can use the showers at Lake Alpine Resort for a fee. You can also rent kayaks and boats, and buy stuff at Lake Alpine Resort. The stargazing was awesome! Our site had a great view of the sky, so we got to see the Big Dipper, lots and lots of stars and the Milky Way. We made sure to hang out and look at the stars after we've completely doused our campfire. We stayed up until about midnight just to enjoy the stars. To get down to the Lakeshore Trail, head to Site 12. You will see a trail next to the water spigot (to the right of Site 12 facing it), go down that trail and you will be at Pine Marten and follow the road to the Lakeshore Trail. I would book a site located on the inner ring of the campground. The ones across the road from Site 5 are all on the hill and it may be hard to pitch a tent on flat ground.

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    Silver Valley Campground - Site 5

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    Site 5

    Utica and Union Reservoirs - Sunset over granite

    Utica and Union Reservoirs

    4.0(5 reviews)
    5.7 km

    My pictures do not even come close to documenting just how pretty this place is. I'll have to…read moreremember my waterproof case next time so I can take pictures beyond the shore. At any rate, these reservoirs are nothing short of awesome. Totally non-motorized and crystal clear water - this is a paddler's paradise. There are plenty of spots along the shoreline and throughout the many granite islands to camp out and enjoy. The west side of Utica also features a shallower, swimming hole-like section with large slabs of granite to lay out and enjoy the sun. This was the perfect place to relax after SUPing around the lake. Both Utica and Union reservoirs each feature two small first come, first serve campgrounds that fill up fast to capacity and have limited resources. Seriously though, this place could have zero bathrooms and I would still give it five stars. Utica has a large day use/overflow parking lot across from the Sandy Flat campground that is totally free. Keep driving down the road another couple of miles and you'll find the staging area at the start of the Slick Rock Jeep Trail. I'll definitely be back, especially to explore the waterfall area between the two reservoirs.

    This is an excellent place to bring your non-motorized watercraft (SUP, kayak, canoe...what have…read moreyou) and have hours and hours of fun exploring the shores of islands and peninsulas within this scenic, granite-rich reservoir. In fact, you can bring tents and sleeping gear in your kayak and spend the night on a rocky-gorgeous island. [If it happens to have more granite than dirt, be sure to have a WAG bag in your kit.]. I recommend bringing a brightly-colored piece of cloth to hang to assist in finding your camp after you've set up and gone for a day paddle. It can get somewhat confusing. Unload your gear at the staging area close to the lake and then re-park at the free day-use parking area somewhat further back. Secure your water transport with your supplies in dry bags and put-in to Union Reservoir. There are many vistas to paddle to and from as you explore this paddler's wonderland from a water's-level viewpoint. [Please practice Leave-No-Trace as this is too nice of a jewel to ruin by leaving litter.] Bring a picnic lunch and your beverages of choice to enjoy as you paddle to your arm's content in this little slice of wilderness heaven.

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    Utica and Union Reservoirs
    Utica and Union Reservoirs
    Utica and Union Reservoirs

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    Duck Lake Trail - Duck Lake in the Carson-Iceberg Wilderness near Bear Valley, California.  Sept.2023

    Duck Lake Trail

    5.0(1 review)
    5.0 km

    Duck Lake Trail or Loop is a very nice, moderately challenging hiking trail around Duck Lake (one…read moreof several lakes with that name) in the Carson-Iceberg Wilderness, an appendage of the Stanislaus National Forest in the Sierra Nevada east of Sonora and north of Yosemite. This is reached by Highway 4 (running across the Sierra Nevada from Stockton to near Markleeville, via Ebbetts Pass). The trailhead is at the Silver Valley Campground on the eastern side of Lake Alpine. If coming from the west, this is reached via a small road to the right off of Highway 4 just east of Lake Alpine, which is just east of Bear Valley. The small access road ends at the campground and just before the campground is the trail head. As of September 2023, the trailhead was not immediately obvious because of damage to the trees and sign. There is limited parking on the side of the road. In its full length includes a roughly 4-mile loop. There are links to other trails as well. Much of the trail is easy going physically, but there are some significant uphill or downhill parts, mostly at the beginning and end; around the lake itself the terrain is mostly easy going, with some woodland, meadows, and granite outcroppings. This trail could take about 2 hours to complete, more or less, depending on a number of factors. For us, the biggest thing to slow us down was the fact that the trail, though obvious in the start/end, tends to become vague and harder to identify in many sections around the lake. It is not especially well cleared for much of that, and mostly one must follow it by being careful about the direction, orienting via the lake, looking for trail blazes, and, especially in the hard granite areas, stone markers which hikers put up. This is a common issue, apparently. Otherwise, it is a very nice hike, and the lake is lovely. There is an old cabin next to the lake, and some pasture areas with cattle since livestock grazing is permitted int the Wilderness. It is peaceful and we only encountered three other groups of people on the entire hike when there in September 2023.

    Photos
    Duck Lake Trail - Duck Lake in the Carson-Iceberg Wilderness near Bear Valley, California.  Sept.2023

    Duck Lake in the Carson-Iceberg Wilderness near Bear Valley, California. Sept.2023

    Duck Lake Trail - Duck Lake in the Carson-Iceberg Wilderness near Bear Valley, California.  Sept.2023

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    Duck Lake in the Carson-Iceberg Wilderness near Bear Valley, California. Sept.2023

    Pine Marten Campground - campgrounds - Updated May 2026

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