First full weekend of June, visited the lake several times…read more Parking Saturday by 10:20am, most of the overflow parking across from the restaurant and general store were already full. To avoid walking too far if you have a vehicle, strongly recommend getting here early to keep the walk short. In contrast, on a Sunday at Noon, there were sporadic parking spots lakefront. Crowds Saturday had some areas of the lake crowded with most benches or picnic benches taken but there were some left by 11am. Sunday, dramatically less crowds. Weather Even in mid-60s, being in direct sunlight can feel much hotter and burn you. Water Just fine for early June, did not feel terribly cold. Restrooms Generally in very good condition and multiple throughout the lakefront, no soap though.

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.

This is a great reservoir to enjoy some fun on the water and it's absolutely huge!…read more Located in Stanislaus National Forest, it's about eight miles off of Highway 4 and feels even more remote. From the boat launch the view is deceiving - it looks like just a small lake next to a dam. But turn the corner around the first hillside and the lake opens up and appears to go on forever. According to the Forest Service, the reservoir covers 2,000 acres when it's full. There's a max 10 mph wake, so this is more of a lake for kayakers and SUPs, but there is the occasional fishing boat too. A portion of the reservoir to the northeast is also restricted altogether from motorized watercraft. With the rocky terrain around the reservoir you won't find much for a beach, but there are some great coves and island-like rock formations throughout the lake that are excellent for swimming and lounging. Both boat launch and day use parking are free (yes, really) and there is a campground nearby with first come, first serve sites.

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.

The water was good even though it was super cold got used to it after a while. Feels good to…read moredisconnect from city life and be in nature.

Wanted to try a new spot for fishing. Husband and I came out the week after Memorial Day, and had a…read morelot of fun. Rented a motor boat from the marina and spent 4 hours fishing at the river inlet. As soon as we dropped our lines, the bites never stopped! Came back with 5 keepers . (Free tip: the dam and the river inlet are the prime boat fishing spots) weather was manageable, light rain/sleet off and on over our 3 days there. The Marina staff, and the front office staff, and Serene Bean coffee stand were absolutely amazing! (Emphasis on all of the Marina Staff, Lori and team) We felt like we found a secret gem in the mountains. Everything is within walking distance of our on-site motel, and the lake was breathtaking. Since we went after Memorial Day it was very quiet and peaceful. Thank you all so much for hosting, we will be back again soon!

Not a business but a great hike. You get cell reception at the highest point of the trail.read more

Shealor Lake Trailhead…read more One of the first initiation hikes for this lady in recovery and for that, a little 3 mile hike round trip fit the mold nicely. Easily accessible from Hwy 88 and is a good starter hike for the virgin outdoor walker. There are no facilities at this trail so be prepared although there is a decent sized lot below. The start of the trail meanders through alpine groves as well as large granite rock that dots this landscape in an alien way. Once at the saddle, it is barely under 7600 ft altitude and not very trying on the lungs but the view it affords you is spectacular. From one point you can see Silver Lake and amazing peaks of surrounding wilderness. Once at lake level, it is pretty calm and perfect for picnics and even a dip in the lake if one is so inclined. It was warm facing the sun and the granite rocks are just warm enough to lie on. The trek back is slightly elevated but still comfortable. Just don't veer off the path like I did and wear shorts. The manzanita bushes wreaked havoc on my bare legs in a crisscross pattern.

Frog Lake is a short, easy hike for all ages, leashed furry companions and skill levels - located…read moreat the top of Carson Pass on Highway 88 about 5 miles east of Kirkwood, California in a paved parking lot at the Carson Pass Information Center. Here is to locate them: https://enfia.org/discover/carson-pass/ Starting out alongside the information center a trailhead map shows you that Frog Lake is under 2.5 miles out & back. We found this trailhead to be well trafficked with many other outdoor enthusiasts enjoying the Mokelumne Wilderness Area also - either going to Frog Lake or one of the many other Points of Interest: Winnemucca Lake, Woods Lake, Elephants Back...even came across overnight campers - you will enjoy this wooded, granite/boulder lined trail that leads to mountain views with a lake to sit by for a picnic. Wildflowers, wildlife, tons of birds with stunning views plus being in the wilderness/forest among the beautiful trees this hike you will truly enjoy!! So what are you waiting for...grab your hiking buddy, get out and #moveyourbody and enjoy the great outdoors!!

Saw this hike on a list of easy hikes around Tahoe. Promised wildlife, wildflowers, and a nice…read moreendpoint. Obviously, wildflowers are seasonal. But the wildlife were lacking, and the lake was pretty lame. At least there were some tadpoles. It is easy, but there's only shade for half of the 2 mile roundtrip hike. And there's not much beauty along the way. You're better off with the hikes closer to Tahoe.

I haven't been to the snow in years and my ten year old daughter had never touched snow. The four…read moreof us drove to Spicer Sno park and had a ball. The roads were clear and it was an easy drive from San Leandro. We built a snow man and found a leftover sled to sled with. I would recommend Spicer Sno park to anyone who wants to ok lay in the snow.

Took a day trip from the bay. Lots of fresh snow after a new year storm. I strongly recommend…read moresnowshoeing or walking down the spicer reservoir road. Just a couple hundred feet and there are plenty of sledding options, with longer runs and fewer boulders. Paid $15 to park for the day ($40 for a season ticket). We arrived at noon and although the lot was full, people were constantly coming and going, so we were able to find a spot after one loop around the lot. It's 2hrs 40mins and about 150miles from our part of the Bay Area. This was a good amount of time for a day trip. more than 3 hours and it starts to feel a little less appealing.

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.