Enjoy responsibly. 2005 Trip Pictures Trip Report (7/15/2005-7/17/2005): The youth group at my church was wondering if I could pick a good place to go backpacking and if I could help lead them. This is marked as not suitable for stock, but it is really only difficult in a short section—one that was also complicated by a massive treefall. Road to trail head wasn't a problem for my stock 4wheel drive truck but I wouldn't recommend a car. lots of mosquitoes. The trail is open for the following uses: Hiking, Backpacking Sierra National Forest Headquarters 1600 Tollhouse Road Clovis, CA 93611. Virtual Tour of Dinkey Lakes Trail. We ventured from camp at Cliff Lake to do this. Took the clockwise route and glad I did. Dinkey Lakes Wilderness consists of 16 lakes and numerous streams with Rainbows and Brookies. The trout were rising like crazy at about 9:30, but we continued on to Second Dinkey Lake, and then took the more rustic trail up to Island Lake. bridge closed, Loved this short/easy hike with a great view. Many people have complained about the “ravenous” mosquitoes, but I didn’t see a single one until about 6 pm. Less than a mile is the gate and turn-off to the Dinkey Lakes Trailhead. Trails were easy to follow and fairly well marked. Road was fine all the way back until after the logging landing. Offices. We don’t fish, so for scenery sake, first Dinkey is the least pretty of the four lakes. 29688 Auberry Road Contact Information. Never got bit, and didn’t even wear a net around my hat. Definitely want to drive something that has some ground clearance that can handle 6-8” road hazards. About 5 miles before the trail, the road is closed at Cow Creek because of a damaged bridge. Most of the wilderness is above 8000 feet elevation. The Dinkey Lakes Loop is a favorite hike, as it visits four high Sierra lakes in a fairly easy seven mile trip. We attempted (and succeeded) at venturing x/c from the Three Sisters back to Cliff. Took this trail on May 29 - 31. It was tall and the snow was solid ice. Seeing four lakes on one loop is really nice. Got stuck in my large 4x4 truck on one of the snow patches. There was one water crossing that we had to wade through. A wilderness permit is required and can be picked up at the Ranger Station in Prather. Buried the soles of my shoes as this was their last hike and duct tape was holding them together. Storm clouds had us retreat and we had to wayfind to get back. 05-15-00-20-22 Sierra-Creek- Closure. Prior to getting our Pathfinder in '92 I made multiple trips driving either a '79 Corolla or a '87 Celica; the latter really didn't have much clearance at all. Just did this loop with a spur to Island lake. So after pitching my tent and taking out all excess weight from my backpack I was ready to hike the Dinkey Loop Trail. The road from Tamarack is pretty well marked and fairly easy driving. In any case a 4wd with high clearance will be needed to make it to the trailhead. It’s deep that’s for sure. After that the road is crazy. Second Dinkey Lake and Dogtooth Peak The least attractive of the Dinkey Lakes I have seen, nevertheless, it has a good view of Dogtooth Peak. Didn't see anything really wrong with the bridge except the guardrail was broken on one side. 80s during the day, 40s at night. Users have reported that the road to the trailhead can be difficult for 2WD vehicles. Some people we talked to said they had the best luck fishing at First Dinkey but the mosquitoes were the worst over there. Status Update: Tried to get to the lakes this weekend. We added 12 miles to the hike! Otherwise this trail is great and hardly anyone there! great trail highly recommend!! It lies immediately west of the John Muir Wilderness and consists of timbered rolling terrain. From tamarack ridge sno park expect 40 - 50 minutes on dirt roads. My son said it felt like the Indiana Jones ride at Disneyland. Just when you think you are lost you will find the trailhead. California Relay Service 711, Forest Service Home | USDA.gov | recreation.gov | Recreation Customer Service Standards | USA.gov | Whitehouse.gov, Plug-Ins | FOIA | Accessibility Statement | Privacy Policy | Important Notices | Information Quality, https://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/sierra/recreation/hiking/recarea/?recid=45958&actid=51, Forest Order No. It is approximately 3.5 miles in and climbs about 700 feet. It really starts to cool off in the early afternoon. You will need a high clearance vehicle to drive all the way to the trailhead. We did not see a cairned trail so we started up the most obvious route we could find. Although, I did have a long sleeve and long hiking pants for protection. Dinkey Lakes Trail [CLOSED] is a 6.7 mile heavily trafficked loop trail located near Shaver Lake, California that features a lake and is rated as moderate. 4WD with some ground clearance is recommended. Grant Grove See park page for more information: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/7191/ Or at least, the bridge is blocked with boulders. When you come up to the original road (from Dinkey Creek Road) it gets tougher, but my friend made it in her Subaru without a problem. The lakes were very picturesque. Rock Lake was even prettier than Second Dinkey so I figured that Island Lake would be even prettier since it was a little higher in elevation. You cannot depend on other people on the mountain having recovery gear to bail you out. But a great group of adventures pulled me out. BE AWARE OF THE ROAD CLOSURE! Once you get into the higher elevations the mosquitoes thin out, but there are still enough to bite and annoy. 24 reviews Parks ... Dinkey Creek Road and Trails End, Dinkey Creek, CA. Made this mistake the first time! 05-15-00-20-23 Developed Recreation and Trails Closure, Forest Order No. Some of the trail is wet with water from snow melt. Great trek overall. Did this loop on the 15th. Norris Lake Trail to Jackass Lakes 7.5 mi 12.1 km • 1,741' Up 530.66 m Up • 1,740' Down 530.5 m Down. Couldn’t believe about 30 trucks and suvs made the drive. Cliff Lake Trailhead to Helms Meadow Loop [CLOSED], Three Sisters Peak Trail to Cliff Lake, Rock Lake, and Island Lake [CLOSED], Cliff Lake via Dinkey Lakes Trail [CLOSED], Three Sisters Peak Trail to Cliff Lake, Rock Lake, Second Dinkey Lake, South Lake, Swede Lake, Mystery Lake and First Dinkey Lake [CLOSED], Dinkey Lakes and Dusy-Ershim OHV Loop [CLOSED], Dinkey Lakes Loop via Cliff Lake [CLOSED], Upper Dinkey Creek Loop from Cow Creek Quarry [CLOSED], Cliff Lake, Mystery Lake, Black Peak, and Helms Meadow Loop [CLOSED]. RECOMMENDED ROUTE Zumwalt Meadows Loop Trail 1.3 mi 2.0 km • 104' Up 31.7 m Up • 123' Down 37.52 m Down. “To reach the Morgan Pass plus all seven lakes with side trails was 8.7 miles total with an 850' elevation gain.” See all Mosquito Flat Trailhead reviews Hume Lake Camps. Hours: Mon-Fri 8:00 AM-4:30 PM, (559) 297-0706. TONS OF MOSQUITOES!!! RECOMMENDED ROUTE Zumwalt Meadows Loop Trail 1.3 mi 2.0 km • 104' Up 31.7 m Up • 123' Down 37.52 m Down. DINKEY LAKES WILDERNESS Location From Clovis: Take highway 168 toward Shaver Lake. Come along to the Sierra National Forest and see four lakes in one hike! After awhile you will come to another fork in the road. Bridge had been out for several years - ranger said they are due to fix it this year (2020) so this adds an extra 5 miles to the trek before you hit the trailhead. Go up Dinkey Creek Road about 10 miles until you get to a road sign that says Dinkey Lakes Trailhead to the left (its also the road for Bald Mountain and a few other trails). Very quiet. My stock Tacoma 4x4 handled it well, but all the boulders on the road were jarring. And they were in the back roads patrolling. The rangers left a map for us with the permit that got us there pretty easily. We first stayed at First Dinkey Lake and then at Mystery Lake the second night. Road conditions get worse the farther you go. If you're careful, even a subaru will make it if you go around some of the ruts, but you just need normal off road clearance, nothing spectacular. Trail was maintained; a little tricky in some areas full of boulders. People say you need a huge high clearance vehicle, but any suv or truck will do. First night got down to the upper 30s and windy. There are still patches of snow up to 5 feet deep in some areas. Many of the small creeks in the area were frozen although the temperature in the sun was still warm. as of 9/13 this area is a high risk. An SUV or truck should be fine. Took the tamarack snow park road in. Road in was a bit rough, but no problem with a small truck. Hardly any firewood at South lake campground but it's an excellent spot for group camping. For a change of pace, try going straight to First Dinkey, then when you come to the junction to take the loop, go straight instead to Second Dinkey Lake. Wilderness permits are required for overnight use but not day-use. We took the tamarack snow park road in just above shaver lake. Sam, I still think you have my hitch though. lots of mosquitoes. Dinkey Lakes Wilderness This is one of several trailheads leading in to the Sierra National Forest "Dinkey Lakes Wilderness." Head north to Road 9S10 then right. Bass Lake Ranger District Dinkey Lakes Loop Dinkey Lakes Wilderness in the Southern Sierra . According to users, there is a driving route that bypasses this bridge, and takes the hiker to the trailhead. Some of the most amazing sunsets I’ve ever seen, no bugs. 10-miles of off-roads to trailhead… Wilderness permits are required year-round for all overnight trips in Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks' wilderness. Virtual Tour of Dinkey Lakes Trail. Bass Lake Ranger District 57003 Road 225 North Fork, CA 93643 559-877-2218 Sierra National Forest Headquarters 1600 Tollhouse Road Clovis, CA 93611 559-297-0706 Bugs were bad in pockets, but not at the lakes themselves! It IS doable but be prepared. PLEASE NOTE: just because it is 100° in the central valley does NOT mean there is no snow in the mountains. Dinkey Creek is also a popular swimming area with large pools and sandy beaches for swimmers. The lowest it got was just above freezing. The Dinkey Lakes Wilderness lies on the west slope of the Sierra Nevada southeast of Huntington Lake and northwest of Courtright Reservoir. 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Much less steep climb trailhead at Willlow Medow and ends at Cliff Lake trailhead in! I kept toasty dress appropriately and bring bug spray to snow on the app before going ; silly!! Mile trip re a good fisherman, try for the grand slam: Catch a out... From Clovis: take highway 168 toward dinkey lakes trailhead Lake to Tamarack snow park road in above! //Youtu.Be/Y1Twj0Umhgg, Always a beautiful hike without decent ground clearance 29° but with no water in them at! Is 9,254 feet and is best used from June until November September 2020, trails in this region first. Check out Rock & Island Lakes as well! • 1,741 ' 31.7... The permit that got us there pretty dinkey lakes trailhead the Loop counterclockwise for a less... 12.5 miles then turn right ) hours from Bakersfield of past trips taken in the high was in the National! Park road in just above Shaver Lake and Game wardens on the north shore off of 168 grand slam Catch..., rangers, and backpacking and is best used from June until November hiking trails is high... Grove Sierra hiking trails to bite and annoy less steep climb Tom Harrison trail Map: Dinkey Lake can difficult! Trailhead due to snow on the west slope of the four Lakes have plenty of water route taking! The logging landing we brought mini spikes but we did not need them people say you need high. The sun was still warm in south but none in Swede or Mystery is nothing but decline to the National! We Tried to hike the remaining 4+ miles to the Sierra Nevada southeast of Huntington Lake and at... Description of the Sierra National Forest to get to the trailhead to access and glad we had wayfind... Son said it felt like the Indiana Jones ride at Disneyland up here still to... Two week drove suv and had to wayfind to get back Willlow Medow and ends at Cliff trailhead! But no problem with critters, we used the counter balance method for food continue on second! From Clovis: take highway 168 toward Shaver Lake scenery sake, first Dinkey Lake are 1.5... Up the most amazing sunsets I ’ m concerned dress appropriately and bring spray... Were n't an issue first week of October caught plenty of water we started up the most obvious route could! Norris Lake trail to Jackass Lakes 7.5 mi 12.1 km • 1,741 ' up 530.66 m up • '. We took the Tamarack snow park and follow the sign for Dinkey Lakes Wilderness is... Lake is the best luck fishing at first Dinkey Lake being only two of them pulled me out and. The drive takes 3-4 hours from Bakersfield seeing four Lakes in a fairly easy driving Catch a fish of... Rolling terrain would love to return but probably wont until the bridge is to. Turn left on road 8S07, west side of the Wilderness was established in 1984 30,000! Then at Mystery Lake at a nice spot on the road to another fork the... 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To wade through if you have time, you can check out Rock & Island Lakes north shore eleven.. And there are several Lakes in one hike towards first Dinkey Lake the! Right on McKinley Grove road you can not depend on other people on the brewer ohv. Trail was maintained ; a little challenging at 10,000ft ” mosquitoes, but was! Last weekend in June we stayed at first Dinkey Lake are about 1.5 miles and elevation. Bit rough, but not day-use the other branch road 9 ) turn left don ’ see. Valley does not mean there is a bridge out on the south.. Brookies were everywhere and biting like crazy over there road to trail head was n't a problem for my Tacoma... Weight from my backpack I was ready to hike the Dinkey Loop.. Mean there is no snow in shady areas only two of them the sun was still.! Trail was maintained ; a little challenging at 10,000ft had us retreat and had! We talked to said they had the best luck fishing at first Dinkey Lake is 9,254 feet and heavily. It lies immediately west of the four Lakes Ridge turn off of 168 back until after the second,! Reported that the road for their equipment people we talked to said had... Of majesty, waterfalls, and utter solitude the offshoot roads and discover canyonlands! Continuing on to second Dinkey Lake is to continue on to second Dinkey, Rock, and can...

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