Saw 2 maybe 3 yellow bellied marmots, which just so happen to be in great supply here in da sierras(don’t feed not allowed). Sierra News Online News from the communities in and around Yosemite National Park. Day 2 was a day hike to Buena Vista Lake, about 3 miles round trip from Johnson Lake. Mostly trail route from Chiquito Trailhead to Gravelly Ford camp; abandoned trail to Givens Lake camp; trail to Chain Lakes. Even though there were fires burning to the northwest and southwest of our position, we had surprisingly little smoke. By Sunday the hike back to the trail head was a bit hazy due to smoke. The Virginia Creek Settlement is nestled in the natural beauty of the eastern slopes of the High Sierra within easy driving distance to Bodie Ghost Town, Mono Lake, Tioga Pass, Yosemite National Park, June Lake and Mammoth Lakes. One of the best trolling lakes in the Eastern Sierra, June Lake is known for consistently producing quality angling. We left from the Quartz Mountain trail head, which is a little tougher to get to than Chiquito TH, but worth it. Virtually no (running) water all the way to Johnson Lake. The lake was warm enough for a swim and the mosquitoes were surprisingly absent. There was a storm that rolled through the day before so all the lakes were over flowing. There are a dozen or so trees blocking the path but are relatively easy to walk around. I'm interested in taking the Chiquito Pass Trail up into Yosemite toward Crescent Lake and Johnson Lake with my daughter for a few days, and then connect with the Chilnualna Falls Trail that takes me down Wawona Dome and into North Wawona where we have a cabin right by the trailhead. This is a great hike, a bit hard for myself being a beginner but I made it. Caught a lot of brook trout out of the upper lake. The trail is long and steep in places, but that's what makes it so great. You can also see an overview of the main hiking trails, but be sure to pick up an actual trail map before you head out into the backcountry. What follows is an account of me and my wife Stacy’s second trip here…, This site and all of its contents are copyright © 1992 - 2021 The Backcountry / Mike Matenkosky - All rights reserved. Check flight prices and hotel availability for your visit. We camped at the lower lake and made day trips to each of the upper lakes. Keep in mind that these chain requirements are not unique to Yosemite and apply in all the mountainous regions of California. Nine connecting lakes will be the center of your adventures at Chain O’Lakes. What's so fabulous about Yosemite? paradise. This will definitely be an annual trip for us. Note: This site is viewable only by boat. Chain Lakes is a small collection of natural, alpine lakes in the Emigrant Wilderness part of the Stanislaus National Forest. Brought my fam and my woman and her sis. Find local businesses, view maps and get driving directions in Google Maps. Fantastic hike. Posted by: Candace Gregory July 2, ... Maps: Merced Peak Topographic Quad, Sierra National Forest Map Might have been crossable in a 4wd car. To get to the Chain Lakes Loop trailhead from Glacier, drive 35.4 km east on Mount Baker Highway to the parking lot signed for Austin Pass Picnic Area (Heather Meadows Visitor Center) between mileposts 55 and 56. I have a question: will a Lexus SUV (RX330 survive the 5S04 or am I taking a lot of risk to drive the couple of miles on that road? Daily permits can be purchased at the Cohoon-Meade Fishing Station on Pitchkettle Road (757-397-4215). Both 510-acre Lake Cohoon and 512-acre Lake Meade are accessible at the Lake Cohoon-Meade Fishing Station where boat and motor rentals are available. From Google Earth it doesn't look that bad. Super fun back packing trip, we started out from Quartz Mtn. Campsites at the second lake are stunning. News from the communities in and around Yosemite National Park. It's got dozens of incomparable meadows and more than a hundred lakes, plus waterfalls as tall as a 200-story building, trees the size of rocket ships, mountains the size of - well, mountains - and even a few beaches.It's bigger than a handful of European countries and nearly the size of Rhode Island. Great secluded campsites located right when you enter the upper 2nd lake. Love y’all stay true stay clean and never ever be on the trail mean. Many great campsites on the north side of the middle lake closer to the upper lake. Swimming was fantastic and the lake was very accessible and crystal clear, especially at the north end below the ledge with the granite arches. Camping was good at the middle lake, but the fish didn’t bit. Easily doable in a day, in and out, but pretty uphill on the way in. The Chain Lakes in the southwestern area of Yosemite National Park is an easy place to achieve some solitude in one of America's busiest parks. Really awesome trail. What you're hoping to hear is R0 or "no chain restrictions." Permits are valid for all four lakes. This is one of the most picturesque locations I've ever packed to. Unbelievable trail .I was out here straight chillin in da woods. You pretty much will hike along the Chiquito Creek. We under estimated how cold it was going to be at the upper lake and how wet we were going to be. Crag Lake is the second lake in the chain of lakes following the Tahoe to Yosemite Trail South out of Meeks Bay. There is not much traffic and you'll hardly ever see another soul. Access Site: Map. Several excellent dispersed campsites along the lakes which make good base camps. If you make this trip, be sure to hit all three lakes. I've been taking this trail for many years. Take the Quartz Creek Trailhead. Chain Lakes is a series of three lakes located in the south east corner of Yosemite. https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/california/chain-lakes-trail Trail Stats Mileage: 12 Miles Round Trip Elevation Gain: 1200 Feet Day(s) Hiked: 8/21/10 > 8/22/10 Trailhead Location Dog Friendly: No Trail Guide In the foothills east of Oakhurst, CA,… To get to the trailhead, download a Motor Vehicle Use Map for the Mi-Wok Ranger District and study it carefully, as the roads can be confusing and there is no cell phone reception. I'd love to find a hike where we could fish a few lakes and even summit a nearby peak - just like Chain Lakes which had 3 lakes and Gale Peak. Update: The 5S04 road is just fine, at least in the summer. Click here for a map of Chain Lakes Natural Area. There is one water crossing over depending on the season. Awesome lake with amazing rock formations. Chain Lakes Trail [CLOSED] is a 23.0 kilometer lightly trafficked out and back trail located near Oakhurst, California that features a lake and is rated as moderate. Location Chain Lakes Natural Area is located at 4247 Chain Bridge Rd, Palo 52324. The fishing is usually good as well. The hiking trail begins in the Sierra National Forest, with a nice gentle climb through some large pines and opens up in areas with lots of lush vegetation. Get directions, maps, and traffic for Yosemite Lakes, CA. Plan on 7 to 11 hours for the hike round trip . A version of this article originally appeared in the National Geographic book 100 Parks, 5000 Ideas . Great weekend trip to Yosemite Wilderness without the crowds. We hiked in on a Friday morning and departed on Sunday. A Northwest Forest Pass is required for this hike. Recommend waiting a couple of weeks unless you have snowshoes and 4wd. I'm planing on going back the week of July 7 to 14 but may switch over to the East Side of Madera Peak and shoot up to Chittenden or Twin Lakes just East of Kaiser Peak, depending on crowds and weather. … It started about 12 miles from the trailhead. Maps & Directions. Bring bug spray. Water was great to jump in. See park page for more information. But nothing better than the landscape. This is one of my favorite pack trips. We hiked in 6/15, there were a lot of mosquitos on the trail, a few trees down but not difficult to get around. Just depends on pace and how long you hang out at the lake. Both trailheads start from outside the park boundaries. We started the hike from 5S04 road which is a dirt road. Chain Lakes in the extreme southeastern portion of Yosemite is a lesser-known "backdoor" into Yosemite. Passed a lot of burn area from the South Fork Fire that was in November 2016. The trail offers a number of activity options and is best used from April until October. While fishing from shore can be very productive, June Lake doesn’t offer as much shore access as some of the other lakes in the region, giving boaters a slight advantage. 0in (0in Last Hour) Mammoth Yosemite Airport (31.1 miles) Wind N 3.4mph Mammoth Yosemite Airport (31.1 miles) Dew Point 8.4 °F Mammoth Yosemite Airport (31.1 miles) Pressure 1027.4 hPa Mammoth Yosemite Airport (31.1 miles) About 3 hours up and 2 hours back with a daypack. It took us 4 hours to make it to final lake and 3 hours to come down. The upper lake is a little rocky for camping. It's a short hop cross-country North to Breeze Lake as well and, if you're in the mood, you can catch the trial just north of Breeze Lake to Fernandez Pass and cross over to Rutherford and the lakes east of Sing Peak. Took the Chiquito Lake trail into Yosemite and stopped at Johnson Lake for the first day (about 10 mile hike). Very sad to see a place I have been visiting since 1966 has this much burn. I'd rate it as a little bit easier than moderate, but that's subjective I guess. Sincerely It’s too lengthy to describe it here, so get yourself a Sierra National Forrest map! A few streams/rivers to cross with no bridge so getting wet was a must. Crag Lake appears after a very brief .4 mile hike … Day 3 was a 15 mile hike along the trail headed west out of Johnson Lake, which passes Crescent and Grouse Lakes, and eventually merges with the Chilnualna Falls trail that takes you down Wawona Dome and into Wawona, where we have our family cabin about 200 yards from the trail head. Regulations. 12 miles round trip from Quartz Mountain Trail head to middle lake. Paddle through the chain of serene kettle lakes, hike the 23 miles of forested trails, fish the electric-motors-only lakes, stay overnight in a hillside family cabin, visit the park’s historic one … From here, the Ptarmigan Ridge trail heads up to the right, and the Chain Lakes trail veers left to close the loop back to Artist Point. I'll take anything within a 6 hour drive of the South Bay of California. There are a couple of different routes to Chain Lakes but this one starts at the Box Spring trailhead, about 7 miles off Forest Route 3N01. Description. As of September 2020, trails in this area are closed due to wildfire. I return again and again as it is a great trail for the first time backpacker or folks who just want to get there and relax! Picture perfect. Chain Lakes is a series of three lakes located in the South Eastern region of Yosemite National Park near the boarder of the Sierra National Forest. The lake is beautiful, but like many up there, it is surrounded by marsh and hard to actually get to the water. Great hike overall. Rate this Adventure 4.4 miles 864 ft gain ... it is fairly unlikely that you will see anyone on this hike. Trail head then entered into Yosemite national park property a fairly moderate hike, we camped at the middle lake, the upper top lake had great brook trout fishing. I got no bites, my son only one. There was no snow on the trail all the way up to the second lake. Allow yourself a whole day of hiking, at least 5-6 hours, longer if you are traveling with a group. This trail goes by Chiquito Pass and Chain Lakes. There will be 1 tucked away on your left about 100 yards from the lake shore. Elevation gain/loss is minimal, a good hike for families I imagine. Visit National Geographic Maps for Trails Illustrated Maps of Yosemite. You may encounter chain controls even before you enter Yosemite. By using this site you agree to our Privacy Policy. 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