.....I definitely underestimated the hike, lol. 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. read more

Sierra Buttes - Hiking Near Me

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This hike is unreal. I went 10/13/19. Weather was really warm. 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. read more

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The hike to the fire tower was fantastic! It is only 2.5 mi there and 2.5 mi back, which makes it easy peasy for people who are accustomed to hiking longer distances. Nevertheless the hike feels like a great accomplishment rather than a wimpy 5 mile hike because the incline going up is very steep the whole way. I'm a little bit of a scairdy cat, but the stairs up to the tower were no problem for me. A tip on how to find the trailhead: from Gold Lake Highway turn onto Packer Lake Rd. Keep going right; don't turn left onto Sardine Lake Rd. Pass Camp O-Ki-Hi and the Diablo campground on the right. Then go up a very steep road, some of which is wide enough only for one car. When you reach a fork in the road, go left rather than right. To the left will be a sign for Tamarack Lake and the Sierra Buttes; that is the correct road. The road on the right will take you to Packer Lake Lodge. Once you've turned left, you will see more campsites. Keep following the road until you see a parking lot; that's the beginning of the trail. read more

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This is a great place to do a little hiking, exploring and sightseeing from the top for a beautiful mountain. There is several way to get to the lookout, we rode in past the trail head up the gravel road, then to a trail that took us all the way past the upper parking lot, but then we hit too much snow in the middle of July. The hike to the top was only about 3/4 of a mile and a few stairs. Great views !! read more

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This is for Tamarack Lake not the actual Sierra Buttes. WWW.localhikes.com/hikes/tamarack lake 6922.asp! I'll see if I can get Yelp to make this lake its own place. We had a 4WD truck , ( I'm the hobbled one with Plantar Faciatis , so I got to ride, haha ) have to take it somewhat easy. The directions are on the above link. This is such an amazing area to hike, fish, camp and explore in. As you can see in the pictures the lake is absolutely breathtaking. And the good news is that there were zero mosquitoes. While the hiking distance is not far it is a bit steep and very rocky. You can get there hiking, 4WD or by horseback. It's an alpine lake and it's so worth the trip. It's remoteness is one of the great things about it. There are a couple of large rock fire rings and camping spots. We were there last week and were the only ones there. You can also hike in to the lake from the Tahoe Rim Trail. It's part of the Desolation Wilderness area. The mayflies were hatching and falling back into the water, not a very long lifespan. There were some fish, frogs and a small water snake ( its harmless ) that were feasting on the mayflies. There are a lot of other trails for day hikes out of this area that you should take advantage of if you are spending a few days. BTW there are plenty of Pine and Aspen trees but NO Tamarack's . kind of like Sardine Lake that has no sardines :) read more

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Trails can be taken to the Lookout Building at the very top of the Sierra Buttes. Obviously it is uphill all the way (and steep in parts) but it can be conquered by taking a slow and easy approach up the western trail. Elevation: Highest point is ~8,800 ft. Difficulty: Moderate to Strenuous Hiking Season: June to October The trails up to the top of the Sierra Buttes offers wonderful views of various lakes on the way up . . . but spectacular 360 degree views are attainable from the balcony which completely encircles the Lookout Building at the top. The views from the lookout are the single highest point in the Lakes Basin area. However, beware that the steel stairs and walkways up the rock to the lookout can be a bit scary if you aren't fond of heights (or perhaps suffer from vertigo). Other Yelpers have posted photos of the steel stairs to give you a sense of what you're in for. Check out all the photos for a betters sense of the overall hiking experience. read more

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From pretty much anywhere near the Sierra Buttes, you can look up onto the huge crags and see the teeny tiny fire lookout perched precariously at the top. Actually getting to the fire lookout is not as difficult as you might think, and it is an incredibly rewarding hiking experience. There are several routes to get to the lookout, but we took the easiest way, which involved driving most of the way and hiking the last 2.5 miles. (The map I have provided here takes you to that trailhead.) The hike to the top is moderate--a few short, steep switchbacks but mostly steady, even climbing. The part of the hike that gives most people pause is at the very end--the 178 vertigo-inducing steps to the lookout itself. I was surprised to find that these were really more exhilarating than terrifying or exhausting. Views from the lookout are, as you would expect, spectacular. Unless you are a skilled winter mountaineer, I would recommend waiting until late-July to try this trail. We hit it in late June, and about 80% of the trail was snowbound, some of it dangerously so. read more

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After many times of seeing and being so close to the this place, today I have come and hiked this beautiful place. The Buttes itself stands high and looks amazing as it stands guard of th valley. I've come mountain biking in this area many times and every time I see this peak it was my goal to come and hike it. This area is renowned as one the best mountain biking in the west coast; Downieville Classic is held here every year which brings tons of bikers. Anyways, back to this trail. It starts off strong and makes you start climbing immediately. With about a half mile you'll get to rest a bit before it starts switchbacks pretty much forever until the top. Trail takes you through some trees and puts you out on a ridge where you can take in some views of the lakes below, Tamarack Lake, Lower and Upper Sardine Lake. Continuing on you are doing short switchbacks for. Good 1.5 miles until you come to a 4WD fire road and from there you're about half mile away til the top. Before ascending the steps, take in the view and catch a breath as you will need full focus and attention with each step as you take. Once at top sit down on the steps of the Lookout tower and inhale and breathe in the fresh air and relax. The tower itself has metal grates which you can see through so it makes it a bit uncomfortable as you walk around it but after a few steps you'll be fine. 360 degree Views for miles and miles. On a nice day you can just sit and relax. However during my trip the wind was howling and made it a bit scary. Stop reading and plan your trip already. I know it's pretty far out in the forest and in the middle of nowhere but YOLO!!!! read more

Tried this hike in early February, there was absolutely no one hiking, the weather was great, and the view was amazing. But, as we got close to the fire look out, for about 2 miles we tried to trek through knee high deep snow. It was beautiful and painfully cold since we were in shorts, but totally worth the trip and view. Gotta go back when it's not so snowy tho. Lol read more

The Sierra Buttes are a world of their own. It's less crowded and less famous than Yosemite to the south, and that's a good thing. The Sierra Buttes were molded from volcanic forces, a mighty massif with views of Lassen and Shasta. There are ancient sequoias in the area, though they're not as famous the Sequoia National Park to the south. It's a place of solitude&contemplation. It's called the Lost Sierra, far from its heyday as a destination for 49ers; its mines are now silent. It's no wonder that geologists have speculated that there's a Sierra Nevada micro-plate, which will one day be independent from the North American&Pacific ones. It's really its own place. Spectacular area for day hikes. A world apart. read more

Great hike and wonderful view. The only thing that ruined the day were all the people on mountain bikes tearing up the trail and coming down the hill extremely fast and the people on dirt bikes. I thought there were no bikes/dirt bikes allowed? Anyway other than that, nice day. read more

Why I have I not been here before! Damn I have missing out on an absolute treasure of a place! Make sure you tell all your unworthy friends the wrong directions for the Buttes so only a few of us can enjoy these magnificent mountains for ourselves. I can't wait to get up there in the winter! read more

Sierra Buttes Fire Lookout was great! It's a 6 mile hike roundtrip. Climbing 1800 feet. 180 stairs at the end for the lookout. It's possibly one of the most beautiful sites I've even seen. I hiked it over labor day weekend and while it was busy it was not overwhelming busy. So that was a plus! You pass Lower and Upper Sardine Lake as well as a what I believe to be Tamarack. Some of the path had stairs that someone has bulit to make it more salt. It is a very well kept trail. Children were doing this hike with their families along with canine companions. If you're in the area I highly recommend this hike!!!! read more

Sierra Buttes - View from the lookout - Hiking Near Me

Perfect way to spend a morning in the mountains. Like other reviewers have said, it's a great payoff of a view for such a relatively short hike. While it is all uphill, the trail is really fun because the scenery changes so much in the 2.6 miles from the parking lot up to the lookout. There are sections through woods, over some grassy ridges, by some great scenic views, and the rocky peak of the lookout. Well worth the effort. (For those who like some quiet along the way, the Saturday morning I want was peaceful. When I pulled into the trailhead parking lot around 7:30 am, there was only one other car. I didn't see a single person on the way up, or during the 30 minutes I spent at the lookout. It wasn't until about halfway on the return did I begin seeing other hikers. By the time I was back to the parking lot around 10:30 am, I had passed around 20 people on their way up.) read more

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Once you climb those steps at hike's end, you'll see California - and yourself - differently. At the base of the steps is also the mtn bike trailhead for the Downieville downhill. If you're in decent shape, read more

What a gorgeous hike. Surprisingly only 2.66 miles to the top but its all up hill. Once you get through the switchbacks near the top, be sure to go towards the cliff to see a view of the valley and 4 lakes (Young America, Upper Sardine, Lower Sardine, and Sand Pond). Ive been the little lookout station as a kid - its a hairy climb up steep steel steps that veers over the mountain edge. read more

I would give it 5 stars but the 2.5 mile trail was kinda steep and made my skinny legs tired. Plus there was a brisk breeze and I didn't think to bring a jacket. Also when we sat down on the forest trail for a little break there was a big black ant that scared my daughter. Also on the way back down to our car a huge deer jumped out and startled us and I didn't have time to take a picture of it, stupid deer! read more