When life comes crashing through my door with the demands of adulthood igniting a gasoline soaked…read moremidlife crisis brought on by the sprinting in place that is the pace of the bay area... I retreat to Bridgeport. As I sit here watching the sun kiss the top of breeze curled waves with the wind at my face and my troubles behind me I think of how simple happiness can be. I truly wish I could be here forever. Bridgeport holds a special place in my heart, showing me stars like i'd never seen before or since, cradling me in a hidden oasis of peace and traquility. My cat is in love with Bridgeport as well. She was even brave enough to go out on one of the rented Kayaks, a mere $15 for 2 hours. Crusing the glass like reflection of the snow topped sierras for the price of a hipster's latte, priceless. 4 days went by in a flash, but the memories will always remain cemented, etched into a safe place in my mind labeled, "Break Glass in case of Emergency." The camp sites are clean, cheap and roomy, the bathroom decent enough, and the views are stunning. It's a place where in the company of the waters symphony against the shore all of life's answers come easy. Not the first time and certainly not the last that I will visit my favorite place, Bridgeport.

I enjoyed everything about this place! Going out on the water was so lovely and the views are top…read moretier. I loved the campsite I was in and it was close to the restrooms where they had showers!! What a luxury. The owner Chase and his grandmother were so sweet and accommodating. It's a pretty affordable spot compared to all the other places in the area. I found out that the bugs weren't even mosquitos either. I had zero bug bites and let me tell you I am a mosquito magnet. Overall I love this place and it will definitely be a staple in our families summer spots. Thank you to the friendly staff for such a great experience!

Twin Lakes is a vibrant hub for outdoor recreation throughout the summer months. It offers…read moreexceptional opportunities for kayaking, fishing, paddle boarding, canoeing, camping, and hiking. The area is a true haven for kayak anglers, not only due to its breathtaking scenery but also for the impressive brown trout that have been caught in these waters. You can check it out here: https://www.paddlingcalifornia.com/Twin_Lakes_Mammoth.html

Nice views and a lot of hiking and biking trails, but a lot of mosquitoes and pretty crowded.read more

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.

Flat, easy access. Beautiful!! This lake is at the end of the June Lake Loop. One of the bigger…read morelakes on the loop. It is surrounded by the mountains and very scenic.

Such a beautiful and peaceful spot that I can't wait to go back to again. The boat and camp rental…read moreplace was closed due to the winter coming. I loved that no one else there, so the adult and baby deer felt safe enough to come out with me nearby to drink water from the lake.

What a shame...Walker Lake used to be such a full and beautiful lake. I can recall driving by it as…read morea kid on numerous occasions heading to my rodeos and 4H competitions in Reno, Nevada This most recent drive by I was shocked by how much it has shrunk through the years. Since it has been receiving little to no water from Walker River since 2011, the fish and the fishing has become obsolete. Walker Lake is a natural lake in the Great Basin. It is 11 miles in length and only 5 miles wide. At its deepest, it is 68 feet. History tells us many years ago that the Northern Paiutes ancestors inhabited the area around the lake and depended on the fish and birds it provided to live. Through the Walker Basin Restoration Program they were able to deliver water to the lake in 2019 for the first time and they aim to restore Walker Lake to a state where it can house fish and birds again. I hope this comes true. We enjoyed our lunch stop overlooking this beauty.

My week I spent in Hawthorne; I had some down time hanging by Walker Lake. I'm a water baby and…read morebodies of water calm me; my happy place. It was a huge plus that the weather was perfect and probably the last warm one this year. Learning the history and chatting it up with the locals here was good time. I hope Mineral county is able to sustain Walker lake and preserve it for years to come. I look forward to my next hangout passing through the Alt-95 or next time I'm in Hawthorne.

Small yet popular lake in the Stanislaus National Forest. Very convenient for Bay Area vacationers…read moreas it is only a 2.5 hour drive. I've done a few summer weekend trips here, but as a child. So don't remember many details, just that it was always a blast, camping with a large group and delving into lake activities. As an adult, I've mostly come to this area during the winter/spring months, and that's only because Dodge Ridge Ski Resort is in the same area. But never really knew how close the actual lake is to the ski resort...until recently when I finally did both in a one weekend stint. The actual lake is man-made, it is a reservoir meant to harness water, snow melt is my guess due to the regular snow fall every winter in these mountains. Then PG&E bulit a dam and used this for hydroelectric energy and you can see the raging water on the bottom of the dam if you hike over to that corner. We hiked only half of the lake on a gorgeous clear winter's day. I wanted to hike the entire circumference of the lake, which is only a little over 3 miles, but we had a small child in our group, so we kept it manageable. The trail is well kept and very easy to stay on, not many off shoots to other trails. It climbs in a few spots but nothing too difficult (at least to me). The lake is in view in practically every spot on the trail, so very very scenic and picturesque. Even though a man-made lake, seeing the clouds drift by the snowcapped mountains and all the pine trees all around, that I never felt like it was a man-made lake. Very natural contours and plant and tree habitat. I saw an occasional deer and tons of birds enjoying the sun on an otherwise cool winter's day. Even saw a couple of eagles soaring from the trees to the lake line, may have even been bald eagles as I observed white heads. I didn't have binoculars to confirm, so just a hunch, but it still felt special. Not much activity on the actual lake during my winter visit, maybe just a few people fishing off of rocks near the shore. No one was boating or swimming in these months. But in the summer, it is a much different story, as my memories recollect. Now i want to come back during the summer/fall and do some camping and kayaking. A promise I am making to myself and will surely bring into fruition. Trust.

Pinecrest is a great recreational area all year long. During the summer months it is great for…read moreswimming, hiking, boating and fishing. During the fall its great all of the above but may be too chilly for swimming. They drain part of the lake in the fall and more closer to winter so the water is pretty low in the fall. Pinecrest is also a great place to build a snowman in the winter and is right by the Dodge Ridge ski resort. It is beautiful, alot of people take photos here. They have a trail that goes around the lake, its not the easiest trail but it is not difficult either.

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.

Best Fishing ever. My dad worked the boat/fishing shop at Twin Lakes for a few years, and we have…read morebeen going every year as a family. Beautiful, Serene. Quiet and great fishing. This lake is amazing for Fishing and getting away from it all

Stopped by on a "lake tour" of the easy to access lakes of this area. It wasn't too busy and it is…read morean easy road to access this location. We only stopped at Little Virginia Lake - but it had a quaint little store and a few fisherman sprinkled along the shore. It was so pretty and I couldn't believe how clear the water was. Simply beautiful. I'd like to stop again in the future with a bit more time to enjoy the serenity.

Great Camp Ground. Host was very attentive and very friendly with all guests. Kept the place full…read moreof firewood, and quiet at dark. it was absolutely breathtaking looking at the full moon against the Dunderberg Peak (mountain top over the Lake) and sun rises were the brightest orange casted all around appeared to be surreal and illusional but its real! Just absolutely amazing views based on the that alone! Very clean & stocked restrooms. Clean, camping sites, with picnic table, fire ring, and a big bear locker for food. There is ample room for tent camping on most sites too. Great for families, Couples, Gatherings, Pets are welcome on a leash. Some sites are prime with a lake view. We went without reservations on a Tuesday- there were 2 sites left when we arrived at 3pm( lucked out) we wound up in camp site 21- it's the first one on your left as you come inside. It was a great site; except.... very dusty as traffic puts out a lot of dust( in and out cars driving through) and it's on a hill slant. We stayed 4 days and we still managed to have a wonderful time despite those 2 minuses. Great Campground really! Trumbull Lake has great fishing and we will definitely try to go back!!

I first visited last year in September. . It was so beautiful and serene. Unfortunately, we got…read morethere when the first snowfall hit. It was cold, but we managed through it for the 4 days we were there. The drive up is amazing. The scenery is gorgeous. There are bear boxes and they fit more than a cooler and a box of food as another yelper said. The bathrooms were always stocked with toilet paper and always clean. We saw wildlife. I even managed to get a pic of a buck who came close to our site. He came to eat the strawberry tops the kids were tossing to him. Fishing was good. We caught our trout using worms. We're going back the 3rd week in July and we can't wait!