Follow Clear Creek National recreation Trail through the heart of Siskiyou Wilderness for 22 miles. Swim at isolated Wilderness Falls, fish, and explore the Siskiyou Wilderness in any direction. Consider starting at the top of the trail near Youngs Valley, and heading downstream going in a southwest descent toward the Klamath River.
Category: Water Activities
Marble Mountain PCT Adventure
- Lovers Camp TH – Marble Valley – PCT – Shackleford TH= 14.2 miles
- Marble Valley Guard Station / Canyon Creek Trail – 5,890 ft
- Canyon Creek Trail 5532 from Lovers Camp Trailhead = 3.8 miles
- Little Marble Valley @ 0.6 miles
- Haypress Trail @ 1.0 miles – 6,230 ft
- Sky High Lakes Trail @ 1.5 miles
- Shadow Lake Trail @ 2.2 miles
- Shadow Lake = 0.3 miles
- Shadow Lake Trail x2 @ 2.9 miles – 6,500 ft
- Red Rock Valley Trail @ 3.2 miles – 6,370 ft
- Red Rock Valley Trail 5538 to Lovers Camp Trailhead = 4.8 miles
- Red Rock Trail to Deep Lake Trail Junction = 1.9 miles
- Deep Lake Junction to Canyon Creek Trail = 2.3 miles
- Red Rock Valley Trail junction with Canyon Creek Trail to Lovers Camp Trailhead = 0.6 miles
- Red Rock Valley Trail 5538 to Lovers Camp Trailhead = 4.8 miles
- Cold Springs Trail @ 3.6 miles
- Shackleford Trail @ 5.1 miles
- Shackleford Trail = 5.3 miles
- Summit Lake @ 0.7 miles
- Little Elk Pass Trail @ 1.1 miles
- Campbell Lake Trail @ 2.3 miles
- Back Meadows Trail @ 2.7 miles
- Campbell Cutoff Trail @ 3.2 miles
- Shackleford Trailhead @ 5.3 miles
- Shackleford Trail = 5.3 miles
- Marble Valley Guard Station / Canyon Creek Trail – 5,890 ft
- Or keep going down the PCT to Shelly Fork Trailhead =16.7 miles
- Kidder Creek Trail saddle / PCT @ ~8.5 miles
- Marten Lake @ 9.8 miles
- PCT / Right Hand Fork Trail 5401 / Shelly Fork Trail @ 12.9 miles from LCTH
- PCT to Shelly Fork Trailhead = 2.1 miles
- Add on Maneaten Lake = ~ 1 mile
- Kidder Creek Trail saddle / PCT @ ~8.5 miles from LCTH
- Maneaten Lake @ ~1/2 mile Crosscountry below west side of saddle
- Add on Wooley, Heather, Blueberry, Osprey, Milne, and Kleaver = ~10+ miles
- PCT / Right Hand Fork Trail 5401 / Shelly Fork Trail @ 12.9 miles from LCTH
- Right Hand Fork / Bug Gulch Trail Junction @ 2.5 miles
- Cabin Gulch Trail @ 2.8 miles
- Cabin Gulch Lake = 1.6 miles (3.2 roundtrip)
- Grants Meadows @ ~ 4 miles
- Cross-Country to Heather Lake saddle above Wooley Lake
- View down to Blueberry Lake
- Cross over northern ridge to Milne Lake
- View down to Kleaver Lake, Climb up to Osprey Lake
Mt Eddy PCT
- Scott Mountain Summit to Trinity Divide = 37.3 miles
- Masterson Meadow Saddle @ 4.4 miles
- Bull Lake Saddle @ 12.3 miles
- Parks Creek Road 42N17 @ 20.7 miles
- Upper Deadfall Lake @ 24 miles
- Porcupine Lake spur trail @ 29.4 miles
- Road 40N30 @ 35 miles
- Trinity Divide @ 37.3 miles
Mt Eddy PCT Highlights
- Parks Creek Trailhead to Seven Lakes Basin Spur Trail = 16.5 miles
- Parks Creek Trailhead to PCT/Parks Creek Junction @ 2.8 miles – 6,860 ft
- Note: Lower Deadfall Spur Trail to PCT junction = 1.5 miles
- PCT/Parks Creek Junction to Upper Deadfall Lake @ 3.0 miles – 7,220 ft
- Sisson Trail 6W06 saddle @ 5.2 miles – 7,410 ft
- Toad Lake Trail @ 8 miles – 7,310 ft
- Porcupine Spur Trail @ 8.3 miles – 7,160 ft
- Porcupine Lake = 0.2 miles
- Gumboot Trail @ 13.7 miles – 6,510 ft
- Gumboot Lake = 0.7 miles
- Upper Seven Lakes Basin Spur Trail @ 15.9 miles
- Seven Lakes Basin Spur Trail 6W12 to Laken Helen = 0.6 miles
- Parks Creek Trailhead to PCT/Parks Creek Junction @ 2.8 miles – 6,860 ft
Bear Lakes – Siskiyou Wilderness
Bear Lakes are a moderate 3.15 miles to Bear Lake from the Elbow Springs Trailhead in Siskiyou Wilderness. The primary lake lies at an elevation of 4,850 feet with a small pond above it, while the harder-to-reach Lower Bear Lake is a steep cross-country scramble drop to 4,300 feet. The Bear Lake Trail doesn’t appear to have a number or official name, but is located off the Kelsey Creek National Recreation Trail #4204 near Clear Creek on Highway 96 in Northern California.
Bear Lakes – Zach’s Adventures Article
Bear Lakes – Oregonnator Blog Post
- 2.85 miles one-way, 1.5 hours hiking time
Low Elevation Granite Lakes
Mid-Elevation Lakes (6,000 – 6,500 ft)
Lakes between ~6,000 – 6,500 ft elevation:
Trinity Alps Wilderness Lakes
- Fish Lake (6,000 ft)
- Granite Lake (6,000 ft)
- Union Lake (6,050 ft)
- Log Lake (6,100 ft)
- Sapphire Lake (6,100 ft)
- Big Boulder Lake (6,100 ft)
- McDonald Lake (6,100 ft)
- Alpine Lake (6,150 ft)
Russian Wilderness Lakes
- Sugar Lake (5,800 ft)
- Hogan Lake (5,950 ft)
- Lipstick Lake (6,350 ft)
- Big Duck Lake (6,400 ft)
- Upper Ruffey Lake (6,400 ft)
- Paynes Lake (6,450 ft)
- Taylor Lake (6500 ft)
- Lower Russian Lake (6500 ft) – XC
Low Elevation Lakes (Under 6,000 ft)
Low elevation drive-up lakes (under 6,000 ft):
Trinity Alps Wilderness Lakes
- Ruth Lake – Shasta-Trinity National Forest
Low elevation hike-in lakes (under 6,000 ft):
Trinity Alps Wilderness
- Lake Eleanor (4,950 ft)
- Emerald Lake
- Canyon Creek Lake
- Upper Canyon Creek Lake (5,690 ft)
- Boulder Creek Lake (5,750 ft)
- Tangle Blue Lake (5,800 ft)
- Big Bear Lake (5,800 ft)
- Stoddard Lake (5,900 ft)
- East Fork Lake (5,900 ft)
Russian Wilderness
- Sugar Lake (5,850 ft)
- Hogan Lake (5,950 ft)
Red Buttes Wilderness
Siskiyou Wilderness
Marble Mountain Wilderness
Alpine, Smith and Morris Lakes
Alpine & Smith Lakes – Trinity Alps Wilderness
- Distance = ~22 miles
- Stuart Fork Trailhead to Alpine Lake = 8 miles one-way
- Stuart Fork Trailhead to Smith Lake – 10 miles one-way
- Stuart Fork Trailhead to Alpine Lake = 17.4 miles roundtrip
- Alpine Lake to Smith Lake = 4 miles roundtrip
- Smith Lake to Morris Lake = ? miles roundtrip
- Season: Mid July – Late September
- Recommended Route: Stuart Fork Trailhead to?
- Difficult Trail – Steep Climb
- Stuart Fork Trailhead
- Highway 3, Stuart Fork Arm of Trinity Lake
- 3.5 miles to Stuart Fork Trailhead
- Bridge Campground nearby
- Cross Stuart Fork @ 5 miles in from Stuart Fork Trailhead – Dangerous in high water or after rain
- 2,600 foot climb from Oak Flat to Alpine Lake over 2.5 miles = 4 hours
- Last 2 miles are steep and exposed
- Water at 1.75 miles from Oak Flat where trail meets outlet
- Alpine Lake (14 acres) – Brook Trout
- 3 campsites at lower end of Alpine Lake
- Fishing is better in Stuart Fork than Alpine Lake
- Trail to Smith & Morris Lakes – 2 miles
- Easier to day-hike due to steep terrain and bushwhacking
- 1/2 day for 2 miles with backpacking bag
- Trinity Alps Photo Blog – Smith and Morris Lakes
- Avoid during lightening storm
- Smith Lake @ 6,950 feet (24 acres) – Rainbow and Brook Trout
- Camping on eat shore, north of outlet crossing
- Camping better up at Morris
- Camping on eat shore, north of outlet crossing
- Morris Lake (? acres) – ? miles
- Camping on west shore near inlet
- Easier to day-hike due to steep terrain and bushwhacking
- There is an alternative route to Smith & Morris from Canyon Creek Trail or Morris Meadows
Graph of Climb from Oak Flat to Alpine Lake – from Jan’s Jaunts Blog
Graph of Climb from Alpine Lake to Smith Lake- from Jan’s Jaunts Blog
Popular Driveup Lakes
Popular drive-up lakes:
- Trinity Lake – Shasta-Trinity National Forest
- Lake Shasta – Shasta-Trinity National Forest
- Whiskeytown Lake – Shasta-Trinity National Forest
- Ruth Lake – Six Rivers National Forest
- Castle Lake – Shasta-Trinity National Forest
- Fish Lake – Six Rivers National Forest
Popular drive-up brackish water bodies:
- Big Lagoon
- Freshwater Lagoon
- Stone Lagoon
- Lake Earl
Hikes to lakes within one mile of the parking area:
- Kangaroo Lake – Klamath National Forest
- Kelly Lake – Siskiyou Wilderness ().25 miles)
- Taylor Lake – Russian Wilderness
- Buck lake – Siskiyou Wilderness