Virtually no (running) water all the way to Johnson Lake. https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/california/chain-lakes-trail 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. Might have been crossable in a 4wd car. 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 . https://www.gaiagps.com/hike/united-states/california/yosemite-national-park 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. We hiked in 6/15, there were a lot of mosquitos on the trail, a few trees down but not difficult to get around. Description. 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. Regulations. Sincerely Really awesome trail. Chain Controls You pretty much will hike along the Chiquito Creek. We left from the Quartz Mountain trail head, which is a little tougher to get to than Chiquito TH, but worth it. Love y’all stay true stay clean and never ever be on the trail mean. Very sad to see a place I have been visiting since 1966 has this much burn. 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). What's so fabulous about Yosemite? Picture perfect. There is also access to the North sections via Blair’s Ferry, Chain Lakes Rd. When you have eliminated the JavaScript , whatever remains must be an empty page. The fishing is usually good as well. 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. Daily permits can be purchased at the Cohoon-Meade Fishing Station on Pitchkettle Road (757-397-4215). I am planning on driving up Beasore Road and then on to the 5S04 to catch the start of the Chiquito trail there. 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,… Rivers are easily crossable this year (June 2020) and bugs are pretty voracious. See park page for more information. There will be 1 tucked away on your left about 100 yards from the lake shore. Bring bug spray. Visit National Geographic Maps for Trails Illustrated Maps of Yosemite. This will definitely be an annual trip for us. 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. 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. The hiking trail begins in the Sierra National Forest, with a nice gentle climb through some large pines … Water was great to jump in. I've been taking this trail for many years. Sierra News Online News from the communities in and around Yosemite National Park. 12 miles round trip from Quartz Mountain Trail head to middle lake. About 3 hours up and 2 hours back with a daypack. Easily doable in a day, in and out, but pretty uphill on the way in. 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. We did a day hike on Saturday that took us cross country to the ridge overlooking Breeze Lake. I really would not call this an Oakhurst trail more like a Yosemite national park trail because a bear canister is required. 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. The trail offers a number of activity options and is best used from April until October. The hike in took us about three hours to get to the middle lake and the return a little over two hours. Nine connecting lakes will be the center of your adventures at Chain O’Lakes. News from the communities in and around Yosemite National Park. Still lots of snow and the upper two lakes were frozen over. Download a free copy of the official Yosemite National Park map before your Yosemite vacation. Elevation gain/loss is minimal, a good hike for families I imagine. For Yosemite road conditions, you can call 209-372-0200, press 1 and then 1 again. We hiked in on a Friday morning and departed on Sunday. Location Chain Lakes Natural Area is located at 4247 Chain Bridge Rd, Palo 52324. 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! Just depends on pace and how long you hang out at the lake. But nothing better than the landscape. Click here for a map of Chain Lakes Natural Area. Beautiful, short, and to the point. Find local businesses, view maps and get driving directions in Google Maps. Crag Lake is the second lake in the chain of lakes following the Tahoe to Yosemite Trail South out of Meeks Bay. We under estimated how cold it was going to be at the upper lake and how wet we were going to be. paradise. Many great campsites on the north side of the middle lake closer to the upper lake. Fishing was excellent although nothing much bigger than 8 or 9 inches. The lake was warm enough for a swim and the mosquitoes were surprisingly absent. 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. This trail goes by Chiquito Pass and Chain Lakes. Coming down plan for 4, at a nice easy pace. Crag Lake appears after a very brief .4 mile hike … 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? There was a storm that rolled through the day before so all the lakes were over flowing. Also burned out from the swinging bridge in Wawona to about a mile upstream and along the stream. Permits are valid for all four lakes. Day 2 was a day hike to Buena Vista Lake, about 3 miles round trip from Johnson Lake. I got no bites, my son only one. There was no snow on the trail all the way up to the second lake. 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. 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 … Both trailheads start from outside the park boundaries. It took us 4 hours to make it to final lake and 3 hours to come down. By using this site you agree to our Privacy Policy. Super fun back packing trip, we started out from Quartz Mtn. Maps & Directions. 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. A few streams/rivers to cross with no bridge so getting wet was a must. Plan on 7 to 11 hours for the hike round trip . This is a easy one way trail in Sierra National Forest. … Chain Lakes is a small collection of natural, alpine lakes in the Emigrant Wilderness part of the Stanislaus National Forest. This is a great hike, a bit hard for myself being a beginner but I made it. The upper lake is a little rocky for camping. Definitely got my heart pumping. Camping on the south end up on the rock platform about 75 yards from the water. Day time and night time temps where great, down sleeping bag was over kill. Rate this Adventure 4.4 miles 864 ft gain ... it is fairly unlikely that you will see anyone on this hike. What you're hoping to hear is R0 or "no chain restrictions." Passed a lot of burn area from the South Fork Fire that was in November 2016. Unbelievable trail .I was out here straight chillin in da woods. Get directions, maps, and traffic for Yosemite Lakes, CA. 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. My watch said it was 16.5 miles round trip from parking lot to Chain Lakes (last lake). Keep in mind that these chain requirements are not unique to Yosemite and apply in all the mountainous regions of California. Backpack in, set up and day hike to your hearts content. Hiking From Chiquito Trailhead to Chain Lakes. The lake is beautiful, but like many up there, it is surrounded by marsh and hard to actually get to the water. Da rock skipping King (high score 6). You get to 5S04 from 5S07 or Beasore Rd. Fantastic hike. Really pretty lakes but tough travel without All Trails or GPS to keep you on track. It’s too lengthy to describe it here, so get yourself a Sierra National Forrest map! The scenery is typical Sierra, high peaks to climb, quiet meadows and beautiful lakes! Great fishing is a must (Upper Chain Lake delivered last year)! 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. We loved every second, there be trees errywhere... on the ground, in the ground . Take the Quartz Creek Trailhead. Update: The 5S04 road is just fine, at least in the summer. 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. I've done this trial probably 20 times, usually for a couple of days on the way somewhere else, but sometimes just hang there. 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. Even though there were fires burning to the northwest and southwest of our position, we had surprisingly little smoke. So, if you are looking for a trip to get away from it all with amazing scenery and good fishing this is your trail. 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. Backpack to Chain Lakes. 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. Stop by on your way to Carson City, Virginia City, Reno, and Lake Tahoe. Doesn't have to be in Yosemite nor the Sierra National Forest either. This Yosemite map shows most major park roads with notes about seasonal closings. Enable JavaScript to see Google Maps. 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) 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. Brought my fam and my woman and her sis. Recommend waiting a couple of weeks unless you have snowshoes and 4wd. 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). https://www.thebackcountry.org/trailhead/backpacking-trips/chain-lakes From Google Earth it doesn't look that bad. I'll take anything within a 6 hour drive of the South Bay of California. 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Can start at the end of dirt logging roads and can be tricky to.!