A beautiful spot to kayak, SUP and fish. Parking can be challenging, depending on the weather,…read morelocation you choose and time of the year. Because the lakes are tucked back into the woods and off the paved road, it might be difficult for some, depending on your vehicle. Although it is a dirt road for several miles, it is maintained in great condition and should be passable by most cars. I recommend both lakes, but since you're in the area, Spicer lake is also very close, and much larger.

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.

Nestled in the heart of the Sierra Nevada mountains, Wrights Lake is a sparkling sapphire gem that…read moreoffers breathtaking natural beauty and a wealth of outdoor recreation opportunities. Located off U.S. Highway 50, 22 miles east of Pollock Pines at an elevation of 7,000 feet, the lake boasts majestic mountain vistas and is home to an abundance of wildlife, including bears, mountain lions, deer, and bald eagles. Visitors can experience the fresh, pine-scented air, fish the lake's fertile waters, and let their troubles drift away as they gently rock in rhythm with the swaying pines. It is a perfect place to paddle and camp! Check it out here: https://www.paddlingcalifornia.com/Wrights_Lake.html

Wow . Wrights Lake is some kind of beautiful. Pristine, gorgeous lake in the Eldorado National…read moreForest. It is off the beaten path and secluded. Parking is limited. The road to the lake is gravelly and natural. A day use permit is required. Every time I visit Wrights Lake, the beauty and natural grandeur of it all just humbles me. Darn gorgeous! The mountain range of the Sierra Nevada and Desolation Wilderness is visible from the lake. The forest of pine and fir trees line the lake's perimeter. The lake is about 40 acres with an average depth of 5 feet. No motorized vehicles are allowed. There are nearby campsites which need to be reserved. But beware of the rattlesnakes and bears. No lie. Additionally there are nearby hiking trails heads and a 4 wheeling trail.

Such a beautiful and peaceful place! The views are amazing, and it's perfect for relaxing and…read moreenjoying nature. We had a wonderful time and will definitely come back!

Best location for camping. It has everything! Clean bathrooms, clean camp sites, plenty wood to…read moreburn. Honestly it's my favorite place to camp. Tough to get reservations so you gotta look about 4-6 months in advanced

Great little place to go and try to reel in some trout when the water flow allows....picnic…read moretables,bathroom are also available...when the river flow lightens up you'll see people playing in the water here... a very popular jeep 4x4 trail entrance is also here.

This is a roadside snow play area off Highway 4 about a couple miles pass the town of Dorrington…read more If you are heading east on Hwy 4 it will be on your left. There is a wide area for parking and it is where the Dorrington-National Forest sign is located. We tried to get a snow park permit for $5 at SNAC in Arnold but they were closed Christmas Day--duh! You can always get one in advance online. Our family was on our way to Spicer Sno-Park on Christmas Day when it began to snow heavily as we passed the town of Dorrington. My parents were getting a little nervous about being stranded in the snow-- saying we should probably turn around, but we didn't want to let the kids down so we kept pushing forward. A couple miles after passing Camp Connell, we see a line of parked cars on the left side of the highway with a bunch of sledders going downhill. There were about 12 cars parked and many more cars pulled up after we did. I was surprised to see a few families traveling from the bay area. Thinking that my snow paranoid parents would not want to go half an hour more in elevation, we decided to stop and just let the kiddies play in this area. I am very glad we did as it was an awesome area for snow play. It is a wide area and the hill is pretty high enough to get some fun sledding action. Adults and children alike were screaming with glee. This is about one and half hour drive from the Central Valley so it is quite closer than Tahoe. Although it isn't as picturesque or gorgeous as Tahoe, it is a convenient location for snow play. There was NO TRAFFIC on the highway and the road and conditions were not as treacherous. AND it is not as busy and congested as Tahoe. Perfect for kiddies..

It is a Beautiful small Alpine Lake. The Campground is small 12 sites but worth the trip to enjoy…read morethe lake, hiking trails and the the view of the Sierra Mountains that surround the lake. The campground is well maintained and the Ranger and Camp Host are very helpful and fun to visit with.

Beautiful and quiet. Nice little trail that goes around the lake. Great little lake for Kayaking.read more

Get Outside. A…read moreworkout, views, scrambling, rock climbing, scree. This a newfound thrill. Vertical climbing up must go down. Parking lot, meter just pay with a card and the ticket pops out, pretty simple. Bathroom there too. Dogs welcome but on leash. Note there is a false summit. If you continue, the true summit is another climb.

Gorgeous wilderness area with trails for hiking and lakes for fishing. This area has a rugged…read morebeauty that isn't well-known abroad like Yosemite is, but that's a good thing. Here, you won't have to contend with large crowds. It appears that the campgrounds near the Blue Lakes were not open this season due to some damage from the record high snow from last winter. Granite Lake was quite full to the point where the ground surrounding the lake was pretty saturated with moisture. For this reason, camping there even late in September this year would be too damp. Keep this place on your radar for future, dryer years.

Fantastic park to stop for when you need a place to eat a lunch. We were on our way to check out…read morethe fall leaves and stopped at Safeway for sandwiches with a group of 10 of us. Nice views, and LARGE sturdy picnic tables. There is even a toilet and also an ADA compliant area next to handicap parking. The only thing is the address for the yelp listing is wrong. The address to the park is 5581 Gail Dr Pollock Pines, CA 95726

This park was so pleasant! Our goal was to have somewhere off the road to take a quick picnic in,…read moreboy did we find a gem! The picnic tables were clean and in good condition, the parking lot was clean and there were restrooms! One thing that I thought was really thoughtful too, there was a handicap accessible picnic table that had a small gate around it (the accessible table was on a concrete pad that was level with the parking lot so it was slightly above the reservoir). Super thoughtful! Five stars for this picnic location!

September 19 through September 21, 2023. Came up for a…read morecouple day fishing trip with good friend. Campsites are both reserve and first come first serve. We showed up as first come first serve and we're lucky to get a beautiful spot right on the lake. They have nice deep fire rings, picnic tables and bear lockers. We didn't see any sign of bears. The sites are $27 a night and you can buy wood for six dollars a bundle or two bundles for $10. There is a 14 day limit on first come first serve sites. This time around, the road to Upper Blue Lake was open, so we headed up there to check it out. There are a couple campgrounds up there that have nice sites and include bathroom facilities. We ran into a couple of backpackers who convinced us to take the "short" hike to Granite Lake to do some fishing. We grabbed our fishing poles and gear and headed out thinking that short would be a quarter mile or so. The hike actually turned out to be 2 1/2 miles with about a 700 foot elevation gain. If we had known the distance, we probably would not have done the hike, but once there, we got a couple of very nice rainbow trout. We did not have any cell phone coverage in our camp, but at the 9100 foot elevation of Granite Lake we did have some pretty good cell coverage.