Enable JavaScript to see Google Maps. Chain Lakes is a series of three lakes located in the South Eastern region of Yosemite National Park near the boarder of the Sierra National Forest. Mostly trail route from Chiquito Trailhead to Gravelly Ford camp; abandoned trail to Givens Lake camp; trail to Chain Lakes. Tried to get to this yesterday May 11 and couldn’t even get to the trailhead because of the snow. If you make this trip, be sure to hit all three lakes. paradise. When you have eliminated the JavaScript , whatever remains must be an empty page. Trail head then entered into Yosemite national park property a fairly moderate hike, we camped at the middle lake, the upper top lake had great brook trout fishing. Day 3 was a 15 mile hike along the trail headed west out of Johnson Lake, which passes Crescent and Grouse Lakes, and eventually merges with the Chilnualna Falls trail that takes you down Wawona Dome and into Wawona, where we have our family cabin about 200 yards from the trail head. Chain Lakes is a small collection of natural, alpine lakes in the Emigrant Wilderness part of the Stanislaus National Forest. Great weekend trip to Yosemite Wilderness without the crowds. Definitely got my heart pumping. I got no bites, my son only one. Stop by on your way to Carson City, Virginia City, Reno, and Lake Tahoe. But nothing better than the landscape. I'll take anything within a 6 hour drive of the South Bay of California. You can check on current chain requirements for the following roads outside of Yosemite: Highway 41 , Highway 120 , Highway 140 , Highway 88 , and US 50 . Crag Lake is the second lake in the chain of lakes following the Tahoe to Yosemite Trail South out of Meeks Bay. We hiked in 6/15, there were a lot of mosquitos on the trail, a few trees down but not difficult to get around. We went from the Quartz Mountain trailhead which saved us a few miles of hiking, would recommend a vehicle with higher clearance for that trailhead, there was also a large tree across the road about 1/4 mile from the trailhead so that added a little bit more of a hike. To get to the trailhead, download a Motor Vehicle Use Map for the Mi-Wok Ranger District and study it carefully, as the roads can be confusing and there is no cell phone reception. Picture perfect. To get to the Chain Lakes Loop trailhead from Glacier, drive 35.4 km east on Mount Baker Highway to the parking lot signed for Austin Pass Picnic Area (Heather Meadows Visitor Center) between mileposts 55 and 56. Virtually no (running) water all the way to Johnson Lake. All in all a great trip and the fly fishing was good with brook trout, browns and rainbows. Rivers are easily crossable this year (June 2020) and bugs are pretty voracious. Chain Controls What follows is an account of me and my wife Stacy’s second trip here…, This site and all of its contents are copyright © 1992 - 2021 The Backcountry / Mike Matenkosky - All rights reserved. This is one of my favorite pack trips. There is not much traffic and you'll hardly ever see another soul. Saw 2 maybe 3 yellow bellied marmots, which just so happen to be in great supply here in da sierras(don’t feed not allowed). Really awesome trail. For road conditions outside of the park, you can call 1-800-427-7623. By using this site you agree to our Privacy Policy. The scenery is typical Sierra, high peaks to climb, quiet meadows and beautiful lakes! What's so fabulous about Yosemite? Download a free copy of the official Yosemite National Park map before your Yosemite vacation. There is one water crossing over depending on the season. Backpack in, set up and day hike to your hearts content. So, if you are looking for a trip to get away from it all with amazing scenery and good fishing this is your trail. Brought my fam and my woman and her sis. The upper lake is a little rocky for camping. I am planning on driving up Beasore Road and then on to the 5S04 to catch the start of the Chiquito trail there. Super fun back packing trip, we started out from Quartz Mtn. We started the hike from 5S04 road which is a dirt road. Nine connecting lakes will be the center of your adventures at Chain O’Lakes. I'm planing on going back the week of July 7 to 14 but may switch over to the East Side of Madera Peak and shoot up to Chittenden or Twin Lakes just East of Kaiser Peak, depending on crowds and weather. About 3 hours up and 2 hours back with a daypack. See park page for more information. Chain Lakes Trail [CLOSED] is a 23.0 kilometer lightly trafficked out and back trail located near Oakhurst, California that features a lake and is rated as moderate. Unbelievable trail .I was out here straight chillin in da woods. The fishing is usually good as well. Permits are valid for all four lakes. Fantastic hike. The hiking trail begins in the Sierra National Forest, with a nice gentle climb through some large pines … This is a easy one way trail in Sierra National Forest. Might have been crossable in a 4wd car. It’s too lengthy to describe it here, so get yourself a Sierra National Forrest map! A version of this article originally appeared in the National Geographic book 100 Parks, 5000 Ideas . You can start at the trailhead at Globe Rock or start where I did at Quartz Mountain, a savings of 2.1 miles. We did a day hike on Saturday that took us cross country to the ridge overlooking Breeze Lake. I've been taking this trail for many years. It took us 4 hours to make it to final lake and 3 hours to come down. Even though there were fires burning to the northwest and southwest of our position, we had surprisingly little smoke. Click here for a map of Chain Lakes Natural Area. These trailheads are both at the end of dirt logging roads and can be tricky to locate. Sierra News Online News from the communities in and around Yosemite National Park. There are a dozen or so trees blocking the path but are relatively easy to walk around. There are a couple of different routes to Chain Lakes but this one starts at the Box Spring trailhead, about 7 miles off Forest Route 3N01. Paddle through the chain of serene kettle lakes, hike the 23 miles of forested trails, fish the electric-motors-only lakes, stay overnight in a hillside family cabin, visit the park’s historic one … Love y’all stay true stay clean and never ever be on the trail mean. Ton of rivers and streams super fun to skip over. Description. You pretty much will hike along the Chiquito Creek. Camping was good at the middle lake, but the fish didn’t bit. We camped at the lower lake and made day trips to each of the upper lakes. This trail goes by Chiquito Pass and Chain Lakes. It's got dozens of incomparable meadows and more than a hundred lakes, plus waterfalls as tall as a 200-story building, trees the size of rocket ships, mountains the size of - well, mountains - and even a few beaches.It's bigger than a handful of European countries and nearly the size of Rhode Island. I'd love to find a hike where we could fish a few lakes and even summit a nearby peak - just like Chain Lakes which had 3 lakes and Gale Peak. Day time and night time temps where great, down sleeping bag was over kill. Many great campsites on the north side of the middle lake closer to the upper lake. What you're hoping to hear is R0 or "no chain restrictions." Access Site: Map. Elevation gain/loss is minimal, a good hike for families I imagine. Discover Your Northwest is a Seattle-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to promoting the discovery of Northwest public lands, enriching the experience of visitors, and building community stewardship of these special places today and for generations to come. Lakes Cohoon and Meade are reservoirs in the City of Suffolk, owned by the City of Portsmouth. You can also see an overview of the main hiking trails, but be sure to pick up an actual trail map before you head out into the backcountry. Posted by: Candace Gregory July 2, ... Maps: Merced Peak Topographic Quad, Sierra National Forest Map This is a great hike, a bit hard for myself being a beginner but I made it. Find local businesses, view maps and get driving directions in Google Maps. Day 2 was a day hike to Buena Vista Lake, about 3 miles round trip from Johnson Lake. As of September 2020, trails in this area are closed due to wildfire. 0in (0in Last Hour) Mammoth Yosemite Airport (31.1 miles) Wind N 3.4mph Mammoth Yosemite Airport (31.1 miles) Dew Point 8.4 °F Mammoth Yosemite Airport (31.1 miles) Pressure 1027.4 hPa Mammoth Yosemite Airport (31.1 miles) Easily doable in a day, in and out, but pretty uphill on the way in. Note: This site is viewable only by boat. Took the Chiquito Lake trail into Yosemite and stopped at Johnson Lake for the first day (about 10 mile hike). Great secluded campsites located right when you enter the upper 2nd lake. You may encounter chain controls even before you enter Yosemite. I've done this trial probably 20 times, usually for a couple of days on the way somewhere else, but sometimes just hang there. Awesome lake with amazing rock formations. One of the best trolling lakes in the Eastern Sierra, June Lake is known for consistently producing quality angling. Plan on 7 to 11 hours for the hike round trip . You get to 5S04 from 5S07 or Beasore Rd. Recommend waiting a couple of weeks unless you have snowshoes and 4wd. Roads will be listed with their conditions. https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/california/chain-lakes-trail Really pretty lakes but tough travel without All Trails or GPS to keep you on track. Most visitors start this trail at the USFS Quartz Mountain Trailhead about .75mi to the south of Chiquito Pass.The climb is fairly gradual over variably dusty, sandy and rocky trail, but there are several instances of climbing that are cool spots to catch ones breath. Chain Lakes is a series of three lakes located in the south east corner of Yosemite. Both trailheads start from outside the park boundaries. Keep in mind that these chain requirements are not unique to Yosemite and apply in all the mountainous regions of California. Doesn't have to be in Yosemite nor the Sierra National Forest either. The lake is beautiful, but like many up there, it is surrounded by marsh and hard to actually get to the water. The trail is long and steep in places, but that's what makes it so great. Chain Lakes is a series of three lakes located in the South Eastern region of Yosemite National Park near the boarder of the Sierra National Forest. The top lake is stunning! Several excellent dispersed campsites along the lakes which make good base camps. We did this trail from Quartz mountain trail head, on July 12 we had a bit on rain on the hike in, plus rain that night, we camped up in the rocks way above the 2nd lake to get away from the mosquitos I would rate the mosquitos as moderate, plenary of sunshine Friday, a bit of smoke on Saturday due to the fire near the entrance to Yosemite. By Sunday the hike back to the trail head was a bit hazy due to smoke. Campsites at the second lake are stunning. We hiked in on a Friday morning and departed on Sunday. Crag Lake appears after a very brief .4 mile hike … Maps & Directions. Caught a lot of brook trout out of the upper lake. I really would not call this an Oakhurst trail more like a Yosemite national park trail because a bear canister is required. While fishing from shore can be very productive, June Lake doesn’t offer as much shore access as some of the other lakes in the region, giving boaters a slight advantage. Check flight prices and hotel availability for your visit. For Yosemite road conditions, you can call 209-372-0200, press 1 and then 1 again. I'd rate it as a little bit easier than moderate, but that's subjective I guess. A permit (daily or annual) from the City of Portsmouth is required for fishing or boat on their lakes. You have to drive on 5S04 dirt road for about 2.4 miles and park your car on East side of road and trail head will be on West side. The Chain Lakes in the southwestern area of Yosemite National Park is an easy place to achieve some solitude in one of America's busiest parks. Take the Quartz Creek Trailhead. Hiking From Chiquito Trailhead to Chain Lakes. … We were able to snag one of the prime camp sites at the middle lake (north of the trail, and at the northwest end of the lake). Both 510-acre Lake Cohoon and 512-acre Lake Meade are accessible at the Lake Cohoon-Meade Fishing Station where boat and motor rentals are available. Virginia Lakes Chain of Lakes, California, USA Also known as: Trumbull Lake ... rodeos, marathons, Bodie State Historic Park (original gold rush ghost town), Mono Lake, Mammoty Lakes, and nearby Yosemite National Park keep the entire family entertained. Still lots of snow and the upper two lakes were frozen over. Beautiful, short, and to the point. A few streams/rivers to cross with no bridge so getting wet was a must. Fishing was excellent although nothing much bigger than 8 or 9 inches. There was no snow on the trail all the way up to the second lake. The trail offers a number of activity options and is best used from April until October. There is also access to the North sections via Blair’s Ferry, Chain Lakes Rd. I return again and again as it is a great trail for the first time backpacker or folks who just want to get there and relax! News from the communities in and around Yosemite National Park. This Yosemite map shows most major park roads with notes about seasonal closings. Water was great to jump in. From here, the Ptarmigan Ridge trail heads up to the right, and the Chain Lakes trail veers left to close the loop back to Artist Point. Coming down plan for 4, at a nice easy pace. Rate this Adventure 4.4 miles 864 ft gain ... it is fairly unlikely that you will see anyone on this hike. Also burned out from the swinging bridge in Wawona to about a mile upstream and along the stream. Chain Lakes in the extreme southeastern portion of Yosemite is a lesser-known "backdoor" into Yosemite. This last 1.2 mile stretch is mostly flat but incredibly scenic, with Mount Shuksan ahead, Mount Baker behind, the Swift Creek and Rainbow valleys below, and even a glimpse of Baker Lake off in the distance. Great hike overall. It's a short hop cross-country North to Breeze Lake as well and, if you're in the mood, you can catch the trial just north of Breeze Lake to Fernandez Pass and cross over to Rutherford and the lakes east of Sing Peak. The hike in took us about three hours to get to the middle lake and the return a little over two hours. Passed a lot of burn area from the South Fork Fire that was in November 2016. Trail Stats Mileage: 12 Miles Round Trip Elevation Gain: 1200 Feet Day(s) Hiked: 8/21/10 > 8/22/10 Trailhead Location Dog Friendly: No Trail Guide In the foothills east of Oakhurst, CA,… There will be 1 tucked away on your left about 100 yards from the lake shore. We hiked in from Chiquito Pass trailhead and are out of shape due to covid so it took 4 hours to cover 7 miles and ~4,000ft of elevation. Visit National Geographic Maps for Trails Illustrated Maps of Yosemite. Get directions, maps, and traffic for Yosemite Lakes, CA. I have a question: will a Lexus SUV (RX330 survive the 5S04 or am I taking a lot of risk to drive the couple of miles on that road? We loved every second, there be trees errywhere... on the ground, in the ground . My watch said it was 16.5 miles round trip from parking lot to Chain Lakes (last lake). Sincerely https://www.thebackcountry.org/trailhead/backpacking-trips/chain-lakes 12 miles round trip from Quartz Mountain Trail head to middle lake. Regulations. It started about 12 miles from the trailhead. Daily permits can be purchased at the Cohoon-Meade Fishing Station on Pitchkettle Road (757-397-4215). Very sad to see a place I have been visiting since 1966 has this much burn. There was a storm that rolled through the day before so all the lakes were over flowing. https://www.gaiagps.com/hike/united-states/california/yosemite-national-park From Google Earth it doesn't look that bad. I'm interested in taking the Chiquito Pass Trail up into Yosemite toward Crescent Lake and Johnson Lake with my daughter for a few days, and then connect with the Chilnualna Falls Trail that takes me down Wawona Dome and into North Wawona where we have a cabin right by the trailhead. This is one of the most picturesque locations I've ever packed to. Allow yourself a whole day of hiking, at least 5-6 hours, longer if you are traveling with a group. Camping on the south end up on the rock platform about 75 yards from the water. Swimming was fantastic and the lake was very accessible and crystal clear, especially at the north end below the ledge with the granite arches. A Northwest Forest Pass is required for this hike. The Virginia Creek Settlement is nestled in the natural beauty of the eastern slopes of the High Sierra within easy driving distance to Bodie Ghost Town, Mono Lake, Tioga Pass, Yosemite National Park, June Lake and Mammoth Lakes. Bring bug spray. The hiking trail begins in the Sierra National Forest, with a nice gentle climb through some large pines and opens up in areas with lots of lush vegetation. Update: The 5S04 road is just fine, at least in the summer. Just depends on pace and how long you hang out at the lake. We under estimated how cold it was going to be at the upper lake and how wet we were going to be. This will definitely be an annual trip for us. We left from the Quartz Mountain trail head, which is a little tougher to get to than Chiquito TH, but worth it. Location Chain Lakes Natural Area is located at 4247 Chain Bridge Rd, Palo 52324. The lake was warm enough for a swim and the mosquitoes were surprisingly absent. Careful my lil bro AKA sweet tart AKA no calves got eaten alive by the mosquitos bring yo repellent for real. Da rock skipping King (high score 6). Great fishing is a must (Upper Chain Lake delivered last year)! Large trees, vistas, and of course alpine lakes. Backpack to Chain Lakes.