However, this trip is only 40 miles if you stay on the trail. Amazing hike!!! Attempted to do the full loop in 3 days starting 8/2, but ended up cutting the trip short by a day and looping back at Buck Lakes, because the heat and lack of shade was a bit rough on the dog. But if you have adventure in mind, then you will totally be blown away! Dry on the way in and out! Day 1: Meet at Crabtree trailhead by 10 a.m. We begin our trek past Pine Valley and Camp Lake, up an 8,000-foot pass to camp at what is informally known … There were less people present here, and we easily found a camping spot close to the lake, where there were a lot of crawfish at the waters edge. This was a great hike. We loved the views and the lakes were warm for the sierras and great for a dip after hot hikes. A lot of bear activity around the lakes especially Millie. We went counter clockwise and there was no flowing water until we were about 6-7 miles out so definitely pack plenty of water. Both Gem on Friday and Piute on Saturday were very busy--dozens of people camped at each place. We didn't even bother with breakfast, but just broke camp and got out of there as fast as possible. The bugs were not terrible. The “off trail” portion had signs posted today that a large carcass had the potential to attract bears so beware. We had planned a 2-night backpack trip with both nights at Piute Lake and taking a day hike from there to Gem and Jewelry Lakes and beyond. Lily and Cherry Creeks are both flowing but easy to walk across. Emigrant Wilderness is a wilderness area located within the Stanislaus National Park which is located in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. They weren't too bad during the day while we were moving, but by about 5 pm they started to swarm and we were finally driven back into the tent about 6:30 pm. In retrospect, going in from Twin Lakes … Arrived on a Thursday evening and the parking lot at the trailhead was almost full so it definitely gets crowded. Both of my trips to the Emigrant Wilderness have encountered sporadic thunder showers, so make sure to bring rain gear. There is a nice large campsite next to the creek. ~14 miles. Also to find the trail after crossing (and to know you're supposed to be crossing without a bridge), All Trails was a savior. Hope this helps! We took a half zero day due to inclement weather. The trail runs along the north side. The 1400' Elevation Gain stated must be cumulative vertical because I did the loop and elev. Dude. This is a very runnable trail. So many wonderful lakes (Emigrant, Buck, and Huckleberry are all showstoppers) — I only carried water before Grouse Lake as that was the longest stretch between water sources. Has anyone been up here since mid - June and can speak to how the mosquito issues are? There were plenty of cars parked along the road in as well. Wondering if a few weeks of warm weather has cleared them out some? A couple of pro-tips for those who want to brave this hike themselves: We (2 adults and 2 dogs) backpacked from Crabtree to Gem Lake on July 31, did a short day hike to Deer Lake and then broke camp and moved to Piute Lake on Aug. 1, and packed out on Aug. 2. This part of the trail was a bit more exposed. Trip 2 (Out-and-back): Gianelli trailhead to Powell … It is bordered by Yosemite National Park on the south, the Toiyabe National Forest and the Hoover Wilderness on the east, and State Route 108 over Sonora Pass on the north. Great trail in good condition but Cherry Creek is flowing almost waist deep and from the creek on, the mosquitos are out in force! Around Lane lake also has a couple of good places to camp for the night. Trailhead to Huckleberry lake on Saturday and then back to Crabtree on Sunday. Only thing we weren’t prepared for was how dry the creeks were! No bugs. The next morning at first light there were hundreds of the little bloodsuckers perched on the tent waiting to pounce on the first mammal to exit. Day 6: On our last night, we may choose to camp at Piute Meadow, or Lily Pad Lake or Grouse Lake. The Emigrant Wilderness of Stanislaus National Forest is a wilderness area in the Sierra Nevada mountains of California, USA. The second half (valley hike) was beautiful and had a few nice streams to dip your feet in. After all, we visit places like these to escape human impact and experience untouched wilderness - seeing things like rock cairns and handmade bridges can really ruin the experience! Beautiful views but be warned as you hike in the bugs get worse and worse! At the end of the trail, there was a little fall. I had time for one last weekend trip to the Sierra before winter. The plan was to start at the Crabtree Trailhead and spend three nights hiking to/around Gem Lake. We never got out the DEET. We got lost after Lane Lake, and took some time to find the way to pass around the secret lake. We hike between seven and 9 miles a day and was it no rush. Definitely the deeper you go in the less people you see. Our hiking schedule is not rigid -- how far we get each day and where we camp depends on how we feel, the weather, and other factors outside our control. Otherwise it was beautiful and the lakes were amazing to swim in! There is a wealth of lakes spread out among the 100,000 acre of this pristine wilderness. Route finding is required, but this is gentle country. Beautiful hike through meadows and alpine forest. Gorgeous hike in with buddies, and camping at Piute. The trailhead doubles as a camp where those heading into the Emigrant Wilderness can spend the night before beginning their trek. More photos from the hike: https://csgirllife.wordpress.com/leavitt-meadows-hoover-wilderness, Leavitt Meadows to Millie, Secret, Roosevelt & Lane Lakes, Aspen Meadow Road, Crabtree Camp and Buck Lakes Loop. We're going to drive up Friday AM to the Crabtree Trailhead. We lost the trail going in, and ended up climbing over a bunch of down trees, but there IS in fact a trail! This was a superbly beautiful location with lots of really cool camp spots overlooking the lake. The Emigrant Wilderness is a glaciated landscape of great scenic beauty. So much fun swimming in the lakes and lots of water to fill up! Finally, we made our way back to the trailhead, taking one final dip in the river at the foot of the bridge, jumping off a small rock into a deep pool. We took our time and enjoyed every aspect of it. Gem Lake Pack Trail from Crabtree and Aspen. I'm not topo-challenged and had maps and visual images in mind, but right at the crossing point I was very glad to have downloaded a map containing this area. Mosquitos were extremely intense in a couple of areas (in particular, between Deer and Upper Buck Lakes and along Woods Lake, where I was bitten maybe 15-20 times in the time it took me to take out and spray on the DEET), and tolerable in most other areas. I also see people camping by the lakes, behind the rocks to hide away from the wind. The terrain varies in Emigrant Wilderness: some parts are full of volcanic … We did this as a three-day two-night backpacking trip, after several years without a pack. Emigrant Wilderness is also close to Yosemite National Park and Toiyabe National Forest. Piute Lake in the Emigrant Wilderness. It is bordered by Yosemite National Park on the south, the Toiyabe National Forest and the Hoover Wilderness on the east, and State Route 108 over Sonora Pass on the north. Upper Buck Lake is also perfect for camping. Reprieve really only came after passing the unnamed lake ~1.5 miles east of Camp Lake. The Emigrant Wilderness is a vast and stunning wilderness area of Stanislaus National Forest located in the Sierra Nevada. Once you cross the river, the GPS track would have you believe there are 2 options to ascend to the saddle. Thank the late snow melt lol. It was a good idea but was beautiful and we enjoyed our rest.Can’t wait to return I highly recommend this. While the navigation is easy, you will need to be proficient with a map and compass and/or GPS, and the route finding through the boulders can be very tricky at some points. Descend the granite face to the creek. Day hike to Hidden Lake, started with some gravel and longer than we thought; had to ford a river/stream taking boots off and using hands on the mid-stream rocks for balance. Most days we will have time to swim, fish, write, or draw. We went out early August and luckily there were barely any mosquitos. Gorgeous hike in with buddies, and camping at Piute. Beautiful eastern Sierra hike. I hope to come back soon and make it all the way to the lake with an earlier start and an extra day to spend there. Great trail in good condition but Cherry Creek is flowing almost waist deep and from the creek on, the mosquitos are out in force! We continued and reached Cherry Creek, one of the deepest crossings. Mosquitos at Gem Lake were so bad we had to spend our evening in our tent. Lots of the smaller creeks still had some water for our two dogs. Very few people, I didn’t see anyone between emigrant lake and huckleberry lake. We never got out the DEET. We had to park a mile short of the trailhead and hike to it as the dirt road continuing on was blocked by snowpack and a few downed trees. Ended up meandering around the meadow before trail blazing back up to the higher trail we went out on. We were driven back after one night by the mosquitoes, the worst I've seen in the Sierra. Emigrant Lake: 140 acres at 8827' elevation, about 15 miles from the trailhead. Dude. The water was the perfect temperature for swimming. This trail (“trail”) is not for the faint of heart. I just kept running. First of all, I would like to point out that this route is not actually a loop - the GPS track posted here is 2 cross country attempts to get to and from Hyatt. Used Deet when we needed to. Passed so many lakes I can’t remember them all. We travel about four miles, with 1,000 feet of elevation gain and 700 feet of elevation loss, into an area of granite slabs, granite domes, and expansive views. Had so much fun on this trail! Instead, you can get a great view of that same lake from the crest part of the trail I highly recommend taking the Northern route first and camping at Piute Lake along the Southern side. All in all, super great! Had so much fun on this trail! Definitely the deeper you go in the less people you see. Once you exit the forest, you are now in find-your-own-route-land. › Emigrant Wilderness. Started on Saturday and finished the following Friday. Not a ton of great trees for hammock camping, but I did manage to find some! The water at Gem clogged our filter very quickly; Piute seemed better. Great trail but the mileage is closer to 20...just hiked it yesterday (7-27-19). But make sure you prepared for the cold night. Watersheds drain to the Stanislaus and … A little ways upstream of this camp was a shallow and slow-moving area we chose to ford the river. - if you are starting late in the day consider leaving the crest part of the trail for the second half as it remains in the sun longer than the valley. Elevation gain: 1,200 feet. We hiked at the end of July and the weather was perfect except for one day. They weren't too bad during the day while we were moving, but by about 5 pm they started to swarm and we were finally driven back into the tent about 6:30 pm. 119 reviews 3 Items. Luckily the Emigrant Wilderness looked like a relatively smokeless/fireless option, and there was no quota for permits, so I filled out the permit application online and off we went. The 44 miles is only if you go on the off trail day hike. For trips entering Yosemite National Park Wilderness from Cherry Lake, Kibbie Ridge, or Lake Eleanor, visit any district office or call the Groveland Ranger District by phone no more than 24 hours in advance of your trip. Otherwise, an enjoyable trip. Stayed at a different lake every night (6). Terrain is pretty (if not particularly dramatic compared to other parts of the Sierras) and the variety - forest, lakes, meadows, rivers, granite slabs - kept things interesting. Went the weekend of July 18-19. The second half (valley hike) was beautiful and had a few nice streams to dip your feet in. The northeastern section of ... as the Piute tribe of the Great Basin, on the east-ern slope of the Sierra. There was not campground there, so we did wild camping near the fall. Nice breeze, some bright yellow birds, but when crossing little streams to get there and right by the water there were some mosquitos; I say this only to suggesting bringing bug cream, because that did the trick. ... Piute Lake would make a great camp site. We got good campsites by arriving early but folks who arrived late might have had trouble. We arrived at the trailhead around noon on a Monday. There were quite a few parties camping at Lane Lake, on a Friday night, and mosquitos were also present. Paiute Meadow and Fremont Lake is a 22.4 mile moderately trafficked out and back trail located near Bridgeport, California that offers scenic views and is rated as moderate. Otherwise it was beautiful and the lakes were amazing to swim in! Stay above creek-level unless you have a strong desire to bush whack. We'll hike mostly on trail through classic Emigrant country past appropriately named Jewelry and Gem lakes and crossing Cherry and Piute Creeks. - Poore Lake side trail has a side trail to the Secret Lake -- that allows you to avoid climbing up and down on the way to the ridge I got destroyed despite wearing long sleeves and long pants. Most of the time on the trail was spent navigating a path across the granite mountain sides after crossing the river. We planned on hiking into immigrant Lake, And ended up staying at Buck because of thunderstorms. It is bordered by Yosemite National Park on the south, the Toiyabe National Forest and the Hoover Wilderness on the east, and State Route 108 over Sonora Pass on the north. The water conditions at Piute left a lot to be desired, but Gem Lake had crystal clear waters as long as you avoided the little inlets with poor circulation. Conditions as of 6/14/2020: No snow to drive over or trek through, downed tree has been removed and you can drive right up to the trailhead (with a high clearance vehicle), creek is easily fordable (will have to take off your boots), no bugs at the lake, but present in the forest. Definitely recommend getting an early start if doing this on a warm day, as the last climb from Cherry Creek to Gem Lake can get very hot. Plenty of creeks to resupply water too. The trail is super super easy to identify and follow, which is awesome. Amazing hike!!! There were mosquitoes at the meadows but as long as you hiked quickly and wore long pants it was fine. The trail was only spotty between Lower Buck and Wood Lake. Filter; Copy to my Lists Share Explore Emigrant Wilderness - view hand-curated trail maps and driving directions as well as detailed reviews and photos from hikers, campers and nature lovers like you. We arrived at the trailhead late afternoon and easily backpacked to Lane Lake to camp, taking the lower trail adjacent the river for a counterclockwise trip, arriving just in time to set up camp, have dinner, and watch the sunset. Be warned, this hike is not easy, and depending on your exact route can easily end up being closer to 8 miles, which is a lot of off-trail hiking! Complete this one counterclockwise for best view progression. Emigrant Wilderness – Lakes Loop Entire Loop – 26 miles Day 1 – Crabtree Trailhead to Y Meadow Lake – 7 miles Day 2 – Meadow Lake to Piute Lake – 11 miles Day 3 – Piute Lake to Crabtree Trailhead – 8 miles Lakes Encountered: Chewing Gum Lake, Y Meadow Lake, Deer Lake, Jewelry Lake, Gem Lake, Piute Lake & Camp Lake It's not a difficult trail, and has nice views. ... hike to Piute Meadow, Groundhog meadow, Grouse Lake. The grandeur sights of the granite valley still made it a worthwhile trek. And forget bathroom breaks, you would be swarmed immediately (even with bug spray). With all the tent sites, we only saw two other groups, though admittedly it was after 10pm and dark so we didn’t look very hard. I ran the loop and the fall colors were beautiful. But it’s much less crowded than its neighbor to the South, offering more solitude for backpacking. We're going to try this again, but not for another couple of weeks! Lots of the smaller creeks still had some water for our two dogs. ... it’s about 140 miles and from Lake Tahoe it’s about 50. Great trail through a very scenic canyon, ending at one of the most beautiful lakes in the Sierras. I got destroyed despite wearing long sleeves and long pants. It has it all: mountain valley, mountain lakes, mountain crests and very few people! Like Yosemite, it has towering granite mountains and spectacular alpine lakes. Did trip clockwise and was perfect. Excellent trail. Great fall colors. The hike itself was beautiful, and encountered nary a mosquito the entire first day until we hit Cherry Creek, where there was a respectable swarm around 5:30PM. I probably would *not* follow these GPS tracks again. The following day saw swarms of mosquitoes around Gem and Piute lakes (and again at Cherry Creek). Otherwise the trip was great, with lovely views and a spectacular starry moonless sky from the tent. There was plenty of tree coverage so it wasn’t too hot. Tons of wildflowers right now. There were plenty of cars parked along the road in as well. 3 days, 2 nights. They're very much against Leave No Trace principles, not to mention forest regulations, and they really damage the wilderness experience for the rest of us! But it didn’t take away from the experience. Made camp at Gem Lake with few mosquitoes to be seen...but starting around 8PM was when they came out with a vengeance. Emigrant Wilderness is located between Yosemite National Park and Lake Tahoe in the Sierra Nevadas. The trail is primarily used for hiking, camping, nature trips, and backpacking and is best used from April until October. Make sure to hide your food, there were chipmunks eager to get into ours. The Department of Fish and Game estimates that 42 lakes in this basin have rainbows, 28 have brookies, 6 have goldens, 2 have rainbows and brookies and 1 has rainbows and brown trout. The water at Gem clogged our filter very quickly; Piute seemed better. 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