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).

2021 Camping Trip #2…read more I was soooo lucky to get a weekend reservation here! They must have just opened up reservations as there were still sites available when I booked in May. We camped here the last weekend of June, and from the looks of it, the snow must have just all melted as the ground was still soft and damp. This meant we had mosquitoes of course, but it wasn't too bad. They were around in the morning and at dusk. However lots of wildflowers were in bloom, and lots of butterflies. It was also damsel flies mating season, so they were flying around, landing on people and rocks to mate. Lol We also saw a lot of trout jumping! Saw lots of stars at night and the sky is definitely bluer and cleaner up at this elevation! This campground is located at 7300 ft elevation. We did not feel the elevation which is nice. This campground is on the East shore of Lake Alpine which is the less busy side of the lake. Pine Marten is just past the Backpackers Campground and the beach is only a few minutes walk from Pine Marten. There is very limited parking for Day Users (maybe 10 cars?) so it is better than the West Shore. Site 32 was great! It was spacious. You can easily fit 3 tents on flat ground. There is a bear box which has a nice easy latch system, and a picnic table. It's about 2 sites away from pit toilets and water. The fire ring is very low though. Just make sure you don't build too big of a fire. The campground hosts were so nice! They would always wave and say hi when they are making their rounds. The campground was pretty quiet all weekend. Maybe coz it gets so cold at night. Friday night temps got all the way down to the high 30s, but Saturday night lows only got down to the 40s. Lake Alpine Resort is only a little over a mile walk away, so we walked there to rent kayaks in the afternoon. So much fun kayaking the lake! They also have a general store so you can buy ice, sundries, food, souvenirs, fishing stuff and drinks. Bear Valley is less than 4 miles so you can always drive there if Lake Alpine Resort doesn't have what you need. We will definitely camp here again. The Lake is gorgeous, the people friendly, and it feels secluded. Lots of trails, and lakes nearby too. Ebbett's Pass is also nearby. We loved our camping here so much, we are returning in another week, albeit at Silver Valley Campground which is adjacent to Pine Marten. I had reserved a campsite near Nevada City, but I happened to see an availability at Lake Alpine for the same weekend. Someone must have just cancelled their reservation. Can't wait to return! :)

Spaces are to small. And access to Lake is only via boat ramp and it is 300 yards away. Bathroom…read moreare not maintained very good

Beautiful views Nice calm waters for stand up paddle…read moreboarding The only reason not a 5 star was due to the swarms of mosquitoes Definitely will go back

So we go camping once a year, and every year we try something new. This year we found Cherry Valley…read moreCampground. It's about 29 miles past Sonora, Ca, but forewarned the drive is very curvy. But...once you arrive...OMG...the campground is amazing. There's a manager on site for any help, they sell firewood and have Potable water if you need it. The bathrooms are super clean and smell good, which is not normal for a campground. Now one thing you must know is that the lake is accessible at multiple points, but it's all rocky. So no matter where you go there's no real beach. However if you drive to the boat launch area which is like 5 minutes away, there is some sand and rocks to enjoy the water. We took some kayaks and we're able to explore the water, even saw a Bald Eagle. The scenery was great. Camping here was awesome, we will def be back.

The camp host was great! Made sure we were okay when a snow storm hit. The location was beautiful.read more

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.

This place is a hidden gem. Paradise Shores Campground is peaceful, scenic, and exactly what…read morecamping should feel like. Sitting by the water, watching the mountains change colors throughout the day, and enjoying the quiet was pure magic. The campground is clean and welcoming, and it's close enough to Bridgeport without feeling crowded. If you're looking for a relaxing spot to reconnect with nature, this is it. Can't wait to come back

Super friendly staff, awesome camping location for tents, RV's and rentals. Location offers…read morebeautiful views of surrounding mountains and lake. Full RV hookups and amenities like bathrooms and showers. I will definitely go back.

We were really happy to get a spot at the last minute, to camp one last time this season. The…read moreweather is cooler, but it's so much nicer without the Summer crowds. When we arrived, we were told the bears were very active, which in this area, they usually are. There are alot of signs informing the public they are in Bear Country and what to do if they come across one. There's also information on the proper way to store food, so the bears can't get to it. Unfortunately, we see the carelessness from campers all of the time. It's very frustrating, especially when you hear a bear and cub may be euthanized because they have gotten too comfortable approaching people at the campsites and could be a danger. This place is beautiful and the bears are a treasure. If you camp here, please be responsible! Aside that, we love this campground. Staff are always very pleasant and helpful.

Another beautiful, relaxing trip to Fallen Leaf. Also have to give kudos to the teams running it…read morethis season, everything was pristine, the bathrooms, showers and all other areas were very clean! We barely pulled out of our spot when one of the camp hosts was coming in to get it set up for the next visitor. Thank you all for all the work you do!

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.

The campground seems well kept, glad we found an available site day of. Not many people tent…read morecampers, most sites booked were for rv camping. Our site was a short walk to the lake but there were several sites directly in front of lake access. The lake is beautiful and enclosed, with a beautiful mountain as a backdrop. Looking forward to our next adventure here.

Beautiful RV camping. Excellent fishing great staff. Beautifully surrounded and the staff…read morewonderful. Clean crisp and clear

A beautiful and picturesque setting nestled amongst the snow melted creeks of the Eastern Sierra a…read morefabulous location and a wonderful experience awaits!

This is the second time we have stayed at Silver Creek. It is a bit of a drive if going from the SF…read morebay Area but well worth the effort for the scenery, peace and quiet, and location. The sound of the Quaking Aspens at night in the strong breeze will lull just about anyone to sleep. The campground is close to Markleeville and Grover Hot Springs if you want to do some sightseeing in the area. Silver Creek is divided in the middle by the highway. Both sides have some really good sites to choose from. Some sites are held for those who want to risk the drive without reservations. There are only two pit toilets for the campground with one on each side of the road. There are plenty of water faucets and each site has a large bear box. For the adventurous there is a waterfall with a nice ledge to sit on and enjoy the view. Careful as the rocks are slippery. I won't tell you how to get to it because then it wouldn't be a surprise anymore. There is also a creek at the bottom of the campground and with a little effort you can find many spots along the waters edge where an afternoon could be whiled away doing some sunbathing and cooling off in some of the deeper pools.