save hide report. 7.25 miles from the trailhead.Leopold Lake: 8 acre lake at 8856' elkevation. Karl's Lake: This lake is south of Wood Lake and is fishless.Red Can Lake: 4 acres at 8296' elevation. Contains rainbows.Bigelow Lake: 50 acres at 9589' elevation, 23.5 miles from the trailhead. I have made two previous trips to this area. Kennedy Lake's relatively low elevation make it a good choice for an early season trip. If you are concerned about leaving your car in the backpackers' parking lot, inquire at the Kennedy Meadows Resort about parking there for a nightly fee. Examples include the 5-Day Huckleberry Lake trip and Emigrant Wilderness Loop (50-70 miles total, 4-10 days) offered by Kennedy Meadows. In addition, three major deer herds – Jawbone, Yosemite and Stanislaus herds – live in Emigrant Basin. Emigrant Wilderness Backpacking Loop . Schifrin, Ben, Emigrant Wilderness and Northwestern Yosemite. All posts must be flaired … Press J to jump to the feed. Sure, some of those other lakes require a lot of up-and-down and round-about hiking, but Buck Lakes will provide enough great fishing to keep you busy for a long weekend in the back country. It is 3.5 miles from the trailhead with a 1000 foot gain. Contains rainbows and brookies, some in trophy size.Middle Emigrant Lake: 23 acres at 9335', 20 miles from the trailhead. Rivers and Streams within Emigrant Wilderness: Last Saturday in Apr. Kennedy Lake offers excellent lake and stream fishing for predominately German Brown Trout. Day 9: On the final day of our trip, we'll exit the Emigrant Wilderness, going by Relief Reservoir on our way to Kennedy Meadow. Pricing can be similar to extended or all-inclusive trips. Links. Fishing is good in the lake and even better along Kennedy Creek. We passed several groups of backpackers. Buck Lakes are tucked away deep in the Emigrant Wilderness, with 20 other lakes within a three mile radius. Log in or sign up to leave a comment log in sign up. Adventurous anglers can set out from Kennedy Meadows in morning and work their way up to Relief Reservoir or Kennedy Lake, fishing the steams along the way. r/backpacking: A subreddit for traveling backpacking and wilderness backpacking, not restricted to one or the other. 3.7 miles from the trailhead. Emigrant Lake is a magnificent destination for an extended Emigrant Wilderness adventure. The 7-mile hike from Kennedy Meadows to Kennedy Lake is one of the classic overnight backpacking outings in the Emigrant Wilderness.The trail follows the river out of Kennedy Meadows, climbing along the old construction road used to build Relief Dam in the early 19th Century. This beautiful place is quite secluded and creates for the perfect weekend trip. 100% Upvoted. Kennedy peak consists of red and black volcanic rock and sits at the eastern most conclusion of an alpine cirque that surrounds Soda Canyon. Iceland Lake: This lake is fishless. Since the dam has been removed the fishing habitat has deminished. Kennedy Canyon trail junction to Tahoe to Yosemite Trail at Grizzly Peak: 6.17 miles. This popular trail to Emigrant Lake is heavily utilized by horses & mules - so there's lot of manure and dust. Highest Elevation: 9200 ft. Park: Stanislaus National Forest (California, USA) Trail(s): Huckleberry Trail, Lunch Meadow Trail. This is a heavily used pack trail at certain times of the year, but go early enough in the season, and you'll have the lake (and great fishing) to yourself. My first trip to the Sierras this year was on July 4th for an overnight stay in Emigrant Wilderness. Upper Twin Lake × Elevation 8,906; Dist. Must go off-trail to reach from Emigrant Meadow Lake.Maxwell Lakes: 34 acres at 8635' elevation, about 21 miles from the trailhead. Hiking Distance: 7.7 miles The streams are subject to heavy runoff from the winter snows and the streambeds are scoured leaving little habitat for much insect activity. The largest of the three lakes is Upper Bucks, 41 acres at 8279' elevation. log in sign up. Day 9: On the final day of our trip, we'll exit the Emigrant Wilderness, going by Relief Reservoir on our way to Kennedy Meadow. Emigrant: Emigrant Wilderness Area is located in Tuolumne County. Taking the Crabtree Trailhead, just south of the Gianelli trailhead, you can reach the following:Camp Lake: 6 acres at 7618' elevation. A long climb from Kennedy Meadow to High Emigrant Lake. She's one of those athletic types, so we let her carry the stove and water filter to slow her down. Where some spawning has taken place, the trout have been able to subsist. The trail follows the river out of Kennedy Meadows, climbing along the old construction road used to build Relief Dam in the early 19th Century. Jul 8, 2020 - Backpacking Kennedy Lake in Emigrant Wilderness. If you should seek other waters, nearby Emigrant Lake should be just what you were seeking. This beautiful place is quite secluded and creates for the perfect weekend trip. Gluttons for punishment, we went back to the Emigrant Wilderness again, this time with Nikki, Steph's friend, in tow. The dramatic north face towers 3,000' above Kennedy Lake, and it is, I believe, the most scenic peak within the Emigrant. Trips are available starting end of May through first part of October. It is located in the Emigrant Wilderness which is just 4 hours outside of San Francisco. Sharp-eyed nature watchers might catch a glimpse of a gray fox or porcupine. It is 12 acres at 8315' and the most southern lake, Lower Bucks, is 22 acres at 8302'. Looking for a great trail in Emigrant Wilderness, California? The information provided on this website is done so without warranty of any kind, either expressed or implied, including but not limited to, the implied warranties of merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose. The wide meandering creek flows out of Kennedy Lake, which is pretty, but muddy this time of year. Kennedy Lake Trail is a 15.5 mile heavily trafficked out and back trail located near Pinecrest, California that features a lake and is rated as difficult. Another good choice is to stop at the Dardanelle Resort just a few miles west on Highway 108. If you want to spend the night near the trailhead but have found the campgrounds full, drive up Sonora Pass a few miles to Chipmunk Flat where free dispersed camping is allowed. 5 trout per day. Very poor spawning capability. The 7-mile hike from Kennedy Meadows to Kennedy Lake is one of the classic overnight backpacking outings in the Emigrant Wilderness. Every effort is made to provide accurate and up to date information, but we cannot be responsible Most of the lakes are surrounded by lodgepole pine. 4.7 miles from trailhead.Granite Lake: Can be reached from Y Meadow Lake, off-trail. Having started my drive well before dawn, I arrived at the trailhead just after nine in the morning. (Elevation gain of 870 feet and loss of 2,150 feet.) Emigrant Lake Backpack Trail Across the Heart of the Emigrant Wilderness. 10 miles from the trailhead. Grizzly Peak North to Kennedy Meadows along Tahoe to Yosemite Trail: 13.83 miles. Oct 13, 2019 - Backpacking Kennedy Lake in Emigrant Wilderness. The trail is often open in May soon after the highway is cleared of snow. Sure, some of those other lakes require a lot of up-and-down and round-about hiking, but Buck Lakes will provide enough great fishing to keep you busy for a long weekend in the back country. Emigrant Wilderness Backpacking Loop . Kennedy Peak is located in the Emigrant Wilderness Area, which is just north of Yosemite National Park. We'll leave High Emigrant Lake, travel about 8 miles as we go past Emigrant Meadow Lake, over Brown Bear Pass, and through Lunch Meadow. Soaring peaks cradle the lake on three sides while acres of lush meadow spread at its foot. It has a reputation of having large rainbows up to 16". Contains Brookies.Black Bear Lake: 24 acres at 9260' elevation, about 23 miles from the trailhead. Upper Bucks is 12 miles from the Gianelli trailhead. Kennedy Lake Backpack Trail Beautiful Scenery and Excellent Fishing . The middle lake is known as Bucks #2. Kennedy Lake has become a classic destination in the Emigrant Wilderness. -- Dave Smith : 3 WILDERNESS AREAS. The Emigrant is most easily accessible from Hwy 108, with many visitors entering from near Pinecrest Lake or Kennedy Meadows. Notes: The lake is about 3 miles long and is stocked with about 33,000 rainbows, annually, in the 9-11 inch class. 4.5 miles from the trailhead. 6 miles from trailhead, last 1.5 miles are off-trail. Pricing can be similar to extended or all-inclusive trips. USGS Topo 7.5 Minute Quads: Pinecrest, Cooper Peak, Emigrant Lake; Conservation. Sep 20, 2019 - Backpacking Kennedy Lake in Emigrant Wilderness. After your trip to Kennedy Lake, plan to stop at the Kennedy Meadows Resort for an ice cream or a cold drink, or perhaps even a meal at their restaurant. This beautiful place is quite secluded and creates for the perfect weekend trip. Contains rainbows up to 13". 0 comments. Thus, many of the spawning opportunities for trout are limited. If you should seek other waters, nearby Emigrant Lake should be just what you were looking for. Let's expand the circle by a notch: South into Emigrant Basin. Emigrant Wilderness-Relief Reservoir and Kennedy Lake . 5 trout per day. There are so many trailheads, lakes, and worthwhile routes, that it would be impossible to name them all. Emigrant Wilderness: Kennedy Lake Did an easy group trip to Emigrant Wilderness this past weekend. Kennedy Canyon trail junction to Tahoe to Yosemite Trail at Grizzly Peak: 6.17 miles. You can enter Emigrant from Yosemtie (Boundary Lake), Hwy 108 (Crabtree, Gianelli Cabin, and Kennedy Meadows), or the Sonora Pass… Elevation: +3000ft. Good fishing and day hiking opportunities. The numbers of fish may be declining, however. If water levels allow crossing the creek, nice campsites are found among the trees at Soda Canyon. Yes, it took a 21 mile horse pack trip to find it. The Emigrant Wilderness is over 100,000 acres with over 80 lakes within a granite basin filled … Soaring peaks cradle the lake on three sides while acres of lush meadow spread at its foot. I brought my Little Brother, who had been camping a few times before, but not backpacking. Take the spur trail from the north end of Emigrant Lake. Soda Canyon . Best seasons: Late spring through mid-fall Close. Emigrant Wilderness, Kennedy Lake trek. Activities in Emigrant Wilderness include hiking, swimming, fishing and hunting. The Sierra Club is an environmentally focused entity. I planned a 3-night trip to Emigrant Wilderness to fish Emigrant Lake and some smaller lakes. This area is great for trout fishing, horseback riding and of course backpacking. About 13 miles from the trailhead with .5 mile going off-trail. 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 … Elevations range from 5,200 to 11,570 feet and features canyons, domes, lakes and streams within the Stanislaus National Forest. 9.75 miles from Gianelli Trailhead. Activities in Emigrant Wilderness include hiking, swimming, fishing and hunting. It gets drawn down during the late summer and fall for hydroelectric power. A dam was removed that had allowed large brookies within the shallows and large rainbow within the deeper sections. Contains rainbows.Bear Lake: 25 acres at 7688' elevation. Both Salt Lick and Spring Meadows are phenomenal; Long Lakes is an option for sleeping as well. 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.Using the Kennedy Meadows trailhead you can access the following areas: Relief Reservoir: 189 Acres at 7246' elevation. Rainbow and Brook trout are found in almost all lakes and streams in the area. The smallest lake is 2.3 acres at 8379', the middle lake is the largest at 22 acres at 9083' elevation, and the uppermost lake is 9 acres at 9543' elevation. User account menu. Maps: Tom Harrison Trail Maps Emigrant Wilderness, available at outdoor stores, Amazon or at www.tomharrisonmaps.com. There are epic views of Lower Lewis Lake, several hundred feet below. High Emigrant Lake 1-027 Dam via Kennedy Lake Trail Emigrant Wilderness - granite dome lakes << Hiking In Emigrant Summary Granite Dome Hike >> Stats to Reach Lakes. It is 7.5 miles from the trailhead following Kennedy Creek with a 1400' climb. Emigrant is a popular deer hunting area among packers and backpackers who want to get away … The reservoir is planted with rainbows.Easiest access to the lake is to hike past the dam to Grouse Creek and make your way down Grouse Creek to the Relief Reservoir shoreline.Sharon Lake: A 5 acre lake at 8,699' elevation. 11.6 miles from the Gianelli trailhead. (Elevation gain of 870 feet and loss of 2,150 feet.) Landmarks: Relief Reservoir. Bears have rarely been a problem in the Emigrant Wilderness, but it is always prudent to hang food properly out of their reach or store it in bear-proof canisters. Jul 8, 2020 - Backpacking Kennedy Lake in Emigrant Wilderness. No, not a wedding, it was a three day, 15 mile out and back, backpacking trip to Kennedy Lake in the Emigrant Wilderness with Carla, Linda, and Tanya. The last 3 miles being off-trail. It covers a fairly large area containing a variety of different types of geology. 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