Saddlebag Lake Trail is a 4 mile moderately trafficked loop trail located near Lee Vining, California that features a lake and is good for all skill levels. See how your fees have made a difference! Change ), You are commenting using your Facebook account. The Hoover is easily reached from its southern end (along Highway 120 near Yosemite’s Tioga Pass entrance station), as well as from various points along its eastern edge near Highway 395. Because Rainbows are used to being hand fed, they will devour just about anything offered to them. and I was a very happy camper. To make reservations, please go … There is also a water taxi from the marina at the Saddlebag Lake Resort that goes to the far end of the lake. Whew. Taboose Pass Trail and Red Lake Trail are closed for the 2020 season due to hazards from the Taboose wildfire. If we didn’t get our hike started so late that day, it would have been nice to hike down and chill for a bit, but we decided to keep moving forward. Camping is allowed starting at the far north end of Greenstone Lake, with a valid wilderness permit. Please store food properly and don't feed the bears. As soon as we hiked up and out of Shamrock Lake, views of Lake Helen can be seen from the top. Change ), Vanessa Renée Temblador - Wilderness permits are required for overnight trips into the Hoover Wilderness. See the sidebar for public transportation options. It’s definitely a special area! The day was still early, and the clouds were still out, we snacked a little and packed a few things to explore some of the surrounding lakes. My pack weighing in just under 23lbs. We spotted a few more campers in this area, and it was clear to see why. Courtney got out to snap some sunset photos, while I stayed in my tent trying to dry off and soak in whatever sunset views I got from camp. The Trailhead Group Campsite is also located at the lake and is designed for groups as large as 25. For day use, you can continue on closer to the lake. The route to the left ultimately leads to Saddlebag Lake, while the one leading to the right penetrate into the wilderness, leading to Steelhead Lake, one of the largest in the Twenty Lakes Basin. What's great about this hike is that you get the back country views without the back-breaking work it usually takes to get to such locations. Vanessa is an outdoors enthusiast, hiker at heart, and the storyteller behind Forever She Wanders; a women's lifestyle + travel blog inspiring all to get outdoors, seek adventure and live an active lifestyle. Hiking from Saddlebag Lake to Conness Lakes. Permits: Wilderness permits required for overnight stay. Stay to the right across the bridge and follow the road approx 2 miles (it switches back and forth from paved to dirt).The backpackers parking lot is on your right side (it's a … "In my entire career, I haven’t seen anything like this — so many disparate interests coming together around a common need … From our trail, we could spot a small waterfall, the outlet from Cascade Lake trinkling down and into Steelhead Lake. It was about 11:45 am when we started our journey across the Twenty Lakes Basin/ Saddlebag Lake Loop. Twenty Lakes Basin Loop. ( Log Out / Celebrate Earth Day in a spectacular shrub-steppe ecosystem. You do not need a reservation for trips starting at Saddlebag Lake. Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. The trail offers a number of activity options and is best used from May until September. So, when my buddy Courtney reached out on Thursday, I was excited to not only meet her for the first time, but to finally hike the Twenty Lakes Basin/ Saddlebag Lake Loop. My friend Courtney, had done all her research for this trip, and actually scouted out the perfect campsite! No matter how many times I’ve hiked this trail, every time feels a little different. With easy access off highway 120 going down towards Mono Lake, Saddlebag Lake offers a scenic 5.5-mile loop in the Twenty Lakes Basin featuring vibrant wildflowers, high altitude lakes and a mineral world of stern granite beauty. A worthwhile side trip is to leave the trail at a small wooden bridge and walk easterly a short distance to see a true gem. A loop trail goes around the lake for fishing and hiking. When we did it a few weeks before you, the thought of going clockwise never even occurred to us. Inyo National Forest Wilderness Food Storage Requirements, 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/inyo/recreation/recarea/?recid=20652&actid=51, Eastern Sierra Back Country Fishing Guide. Copy. Trails extend into what is commonly called the 20 Lakes Basin. Land of 20 lakes: above Yosemite, Saddlebag Lake is a launchpad into hiking and fishing paradise. Copy. I’d go back again and again just to camp at a different lake each time! While the ferry across the lake no longer operates (sadly the lodge at the lake is closed, possibly forever) the trail around the lake is relatively flat. It wasn’t until we reached Steelhead Lake did I feel like I started hiking in an entirely new area. Backpacking 20 Lakes Basin & Saddlebag Lake Loop, My First Cowboy Camp: Backpacking Ontario Peak, Backpacking Shamrock Lake in Hoover Wilderness, Backpacking Shamrock Lake With My Sisters. Bennettville (historical), United States. After passing Steelhead Lake, you’ll arrive to Exclesior Lake. Heading up the mostly dirt road to Saddlebag Lake, my hiking buddies parked at the adjacent backpacker parking lot and stashed their after-hike goodies in … How to get there: Rt. Adventure | Lifestyle | Story Telling | travel, Trail: Twenty Lakes Basin / Saddlebag Lake Loop. Bury human waste away from water sources. 2 months ago. 20 campsites and 1 large group site at Saddlebag Lake near the Hoover Wilderness. Saddlebag Lake is known for it's Brown, Rainbow and Brook Trout, Greenstone and Hummingbird Lakes try for Brook Trout, Conness Lake catch Golden Trout. Url. Permits are issued at Inyo National Forest visitor centers or Tuolumne Meadows Wilderness Permit Office. Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. Day use does not require a permit. My friend Courtney was up before the sun and caught some really awesome sunrise photos! We grabbed sandwiches to go from Nicely's and headed to Saddlebag Lake. Backpacking Twenty Lakes Basin & Saddlebag Lake Loop September 11, 2020; A Simple Guide To Wilderness Backpacking August 19, 2020; Hiking California’s 3rd Tallest peak: White Mountain July 22, 2020; Backpacking Mineral king loop July 16, 2020; Throwback: Memorial Day Weekend Roadie November 15, 2019 It is also a backdoor cross-country entrance into the park by way of McCabe Lakes. It was my 5th time hiking this specific trail, but my 1st time completing the loop. This was also our turning point, leading us to Lakes Basin Loop trail towards Steelhead Lake, leaving behind Saddlebag Lake trail. Saddlebag Lake is the starting point for the 20 Lakes Basin trail and it is located just outside Yosemite’s eastern entrance. The rather small Saddlebag Lake Campground is located near the dam, offers basic campsites, potable water, pit toilets and does not take reservations. It was nice being able to roam around without a heavy pack! National Forests in California are using recreation fee revenues to improve and enhance recreation opportunities. Dogs are also able to use this trail. I find passion in getting outdoors, exploring new places and creating new memories to share with you, in hopes to inspire you to get outdoors and follow your passion. We also spotted a few campers and fishers far in the distance. Camping is allowed starting at the far north end of Greenstone Lake, with a valid wilderness permit. Basically, the best way to get to this trailhead is by heading towards the Tioga Pass entrance of Yosemite. This moderate guided hike highlights evidence of Earth’s raw power, including floods, fire and fossils! Jun 20, 2018 Cristi P. 12.2mi Sep 27, 2017 Rita O. Stay at a Cabin . Trailhead parking is a dirt lot at the end of the road. See the sidebar for public transportation options. It appears that a majority of hikers and backpackers that were hiking the loop, chose to hike it counter-clockwise. Sounds like Yosemite, but it’s nearby Saddlebag Lake, where you’ll find us locals—and our kids—in summer. Getting to the Trailhead of Saddlebag Lake and 20 Lakes Basin If you’ve got the AllTrails app, look up the 20 Lakes Basin Loop and snag the directions from there. Please Leave No Trace. Vault toilet at campground. We had a small (30%) chance of rain and thunderstorms that afternoon, nothing surprising for an afternoon summer in the Eastern Sierra, only I had completely forgot to pack my rain jacket. Saddlebag Lake is approximately 4 miles north of Tioga Pass off State 120 (the last 2 miles are unpaved but well maintained); the drive and the hike can be done in an easy day trip from Lee Vining or Yosemite. Turn North onto well marked dirt road to Saddlebag Lake. I allowed myself a quick head start on the drive to the trailhead, since my buddy Courtney would be up with the sun, taking sunrise photos in Alabama Hills. Hiking the entire loop was something I have always wanted to do, just never got around it. The color of the lake was a deep, almost shiny, blue- a color I’d never seen before from any nearby lake. I was inspired to dust off my camera for this trip, so immediately it felt like a different trip from the very beginning, but different in a good way! The lake was perfectly still, so lake reflections were almost too perfect. : ). Suite 200 Although we were only about 2 miles from the trailhead, that last 2 miles took a lot longer than I imagined. To get to the campground, resort, and trailhead, we drove to Saddlebag Lake Road, just east of the Yosemite National Park Tioga Pass entrance. The west side of Saddlebag Lake is rocky, fully exposed and where we started our trek. Roads Closed for the Season: Tioga Pass and Saddlebag Lake Roads closed at lower gate. First 500 embedded plays/month are free! Change ), You are commenting using your Google account. There is also a water taxi from the marina at the Saddlebag Lake Resort that goes to the far end of the lake. We hung around at camp that morning, for a few hours actually; made breakfast, had a few snacks and even got in the lake for a brief moment. This is where we experienced the most elevation gain along the entire trail, and it wasn’t even that bad. Permits can be obtained here. Trails extend into what is commonly called the 20 Lakes Basin. Literally. So, how many times do you visit a place before fully exploring it? Backpackers must go past the end of Saddlebag Lake, to Greenstone Lake or farther into the 20 lakes basin area in order to stay overnight. This was the first time I had plans to meet someone for the first time at the trailhead. We had plans to meet at the trailhead that morning and one missed text before driving up Tioga Pass, had me worried about not being able to find her right away. Length 7.7 miElevation gain 918 ftRoute type Loop While the hiking But Saddlebag Lake, just east of Yosemite, offered the perfect solution this past weekend. To be honest, I didn’t realize this lake had a name until after completing the loop, because it was more like a small pond at this point, but the reflections were still pretty awesome. This is was a popular destination for overnight campers, and it was easy to see why! I was expecting it to be a little chilly last night, after our little encounter with some rain, but it was absolutely perfect with no winds at all. Limited services at Lee Vining, full service at Mammoth Lakes. At 1.5 miles we arrived at the south end of Greenstone Lake, a popular area for day hikers and fishers. That wasn't quite how our hike… Just east of Yosemite National Park, Saddlebag Lake is popular for day hikes, fishing and backpacking. We took the trail on the east side of the lake because it is easier on the dog’s feet. From our vista it became pretty obvious that a through hike between Saddlebag Lake and Lundy Canyon is an excellent idea for a future 2+ day backpacking trip. The west side is rockier but a little shorter and the east side trail is on an old road that was utilized by the Hess Mine. As an outdoors enthusiast, Vanessa has found passion in being outdoors while backpacking, camping, hiking and creating memories of a lifetime. Reservation for trips starting at the Saddlebag Lake Campground in the middle of summer road! Full service at Mammoth Mountain the region behind and including Saddlebag Lake known... 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