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: Seasons
Marble Mountain PCT
- Marble Mountain Wilderness
- Marble Mountain PCT Adventure
- Seiad Valley Trailhead to Etna Summit Trailhead = 55.8 miles
- Seiad Valley Trailhead to Grider Creek Campground @ 6.5 miles
- Grider Creek Trail at Road 46N72 @ 14.1 miles
- Buckhorn Spring @ 20.8 miles
- Bear Lake – Turk Lake Trails @ 24.8 miles
- Paradise Lake @ 26.4 miles
- Marble Valley Guard Station / Canyon Creek Trail @ 31.7 miles
- Red Rock Valley Trail / Cold Spring Trail @ 35.0 miles
- Older PCT route to Kidder Lake Trail @ 40.2 miles
- Shelly Fork Trail / Shelly Meadows Trail @ 44.6 miles
- Etna Summit @ 55.8 miles
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
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
Tahoe
- Lake Tahoe Management Unit – Forest Service
- Tahoe National Forest
- Desolation Wilderness
- Granite Chief Wilderness
Sierra Nevada
Trinity Alps PCT
- Total Trinity Alps – Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) miles = 18.9 miles
- Hike west to east to avoid northbound PCT travelers
- From Carter Meadows Summit (6,180 ft) heading east:
- 1.4 miles @ South Fork Lakes junction
- 6.1 miles @ Fox Creek Lake junction
- 9.0 miles @ Telephone Lake junction
- 9.5 miles @ Middle Boulder Lake junction
- 12.0 miles @ East Boulder Lake junction
- 18.9 miles @ Scott Mountain Summit trailhead (5,410 feet)
Caribou Lakes – Trinity Alps
Caribou Basin 3-5 nights
Crossing South Fork Salmon River at start of Caribou Lakes Trail (fill up on water)
Crossing South Fork Salmon River at start of Caribou Lakes Trail (fill up on water)
View of the South Fork Salmon River drainage from Caribou Lakes Trail
View of the Caribou Basin from Caribou Lakes Trail
Descending into Snowslide Lake on Caribou Lake Trail
Snowslide and Lower Caribou Lake from Caribou Lakes Trail (smoke from wildfire)
Snowslide Lake
Snowslide Lake and headwall
Snowslide Lake
Camping at Snowslide Lake
Camping at Snowslide Lake
View of Lower Caribou Lake from trail to Upper Caribou Lake
View of Lower and Middle Caribou Lakes from trail to Upper Caribou Lake
Trail to Upper Caribou Lake
Trail to Upper Caribou Lake
Trail to Upper Caribou Lake
Pond near Upper Caribou Lake
Upper Caribou Lake looking toward Caribou Scramble
Upper Caribou Lake
Upper Caribou Lake
Campsite at Upper Caribou Lake
Trail around Upper Caribou Lake
Upper Caribou Lake looking toward outlet
Upper Caribou Lake looking toward outlet
Meadows near trail to Caribou Scramble
Upper Caribou Lake sunset
Camping at Upper Caribou Lake
Lower Caribou Lake
Lower Caribou Lake
Granite slab on Lower Caribou Lake
Lower Caribou Lake
Sunset hammock on Lower Caribou Lake
Sunset hammock on Lower Caribou Lake
Hiking out of Caribou Basin
Hiking out of Caribou Basin looking toward Cesear Peak
Hiking out of Caribou Basin
Brown’s Meadows Creek
Brown’s Meadows
Camping at Brown’s Meadows
Brown’s Meadows
Campsite at Brown’s Meadows
Hiking out on the New Caribou Trail looking toward Coffee Creek drainage