Accessing the Wilderness areas
​
Main roads:
The main highway leading from Fresno/Clovis to the Dinkey Lakes and Kaiser wilderness is State route 168. This road is a freeway through the urban areas, and then becomes a two lane mountain road near the Clovis city limits. The drive from the point at which it becomes a two lane road to the town of Shaver Lake takes about 45 minutes, barring slow traffic and road construction. Of course, there are some drivers who can make it in less time than that, so you need to beware of them, let them around, and look out for them coming the other way.
About halfway between Clovis and Shaver Lake is the town of Prather, where supplies and gasoline can be had if necessary. As the road leaves Prather, it passes the main forest ranger station for this area, where wilderness/campfire permits, information, and restrooms are available. Look for it to the right soon after passing through town. Soon after passing the ranger station, the road turns left and briefly becomes a four lane highway as it ascends to near 5,000 feet, then gets very curvy in a section locally known as the “six mile”. If you’ve been following a slow vehicle, the four lane will give you a chance to pass. Once you’re on the six mile, you’re at the mercy of the driver ahead, as there is little opportunity to pass. Some drivers will use the turnouts and others won’t. If you are the slow driver, please use the turnouts. That driver behind you could be me.
Shaver Lake has restaurants and lodging (reservations for lodging strongly recommended), as well as rental cabins and campgrounds (reservations again), and one gas station with no competitors. The last chance for gas at a reasonable price is at the top of the four lane.
As you come to the Town of Shaver Lake, there is a two lane highway leading to the right with a sign indicating Wishon Reservoir and Dinkey Creek. This is known as the Dinkey Creek Road, and leads to two of the main trailheads into the Dinkey lakes wilderness. Continue straight on 168 to access the Kaiser Wilderness and alternate routes to Dinkey Lakes. Dinkey Creek Road is a main highway, paved and two lane. It leads past a secondary road leading to the Willow Meadow Trailhead, and on to Dinkey Creek with its cabins and campgrounds. Turn right near the end of Dinkey Creek Road, and you’re on the McKinley Grove road that leads to Wishon and Courtwright Reservoirs. The Cliff Lake Trailhead is at Courtwright Reservoir.
Once you have passed through the Town of Shaver Lake, still on the 168, there is a sign indicating that it is 21 more miles to Huntington Lake, and one advising the driver that the 30 mph speed limit has ended. From that point, it is 10.4 miles to a the snow park situated on the right hand of the highway and at the top of the hill where the secondary road route to Brewer Lake and Willow Meadow is found. From the snow park, it is another 2.6 miles on 168, 13 miles altogether, to the dirt road on the right hand side of the highway leading to the Red Mountain trailhead and Coyote Lake. Look for it immediately after crossing a concrete bridge over Tamarack Creek.
It is another 6.8 miles after passing the Red Mountain (Coyote lake) road to the Eastwood Visitor Center on Huntington Lake, for a total of about 20 miles from the sign described in Shaver Lake. Here, you will need to make a right turn right after crossing the bridge over the inlet to Huntington Lake in order to stay on the highway. Straight ahead leads around the lake, past cabins and a small store, to the Billy Creek Trailhead and eventually to the small town of Big Creek and back to Shaver Lake.
No services are available once you pass Huntington Lake, but information, restrooms, and wilderness/campfire permits can be had at the Eastwood Visitor Center. Huntington Lake is the last chance for gasoline, and it comes dear. At this point, Highway 168 turns right, goes past the potter Pass Trailhead, and soon ends at Kaiser Pass Road. Update: The Creek Fire has altered this area quite a bit. For one thing, the road that used to go through tall green timber now goes past a lot of black sticks pointed to the sky. The wilderness areas were spared, but a lot of the areas outside were not. The Eastwood Visitor Center was closed as of May of 2021. When and whether it will open is unknown.
The Jenny Lakes Wilderness is accessed not by the 168, but by the 180. This is a freeway in Fresno, becomes a good four lane with a few stoplights, then transforms into a two lane mountain road near Centerville. The four lane is being extended as this is written. The highway passes through Squaw Valley (Yes, very un PC) where there are restaurants and gas stations/mini marts. The road passes by a Sequoia National Forest ranger station just before leaving Squaw Valley and starting to climb in earnest. Maps, information, campfire and wilderness permits can be had here.
The climb from Centerville, just outside of the town of Sanger, to the Kings Canyon National Park entrance takes less than an hour, assuming you don’t get stuck behind a slow vehicle that refuses to use turnouts. Passing is difficult along most of the highway.
Once at the park entrance, you will be charged a $35 per car fee to enter the park unless you have a pass. If you’re 62 or older, you can buy a lifetime pass for $80. If not, you can buy an annual pass for the same. If you visit this or any other national park three times a year or more, that annual pass is a good deal.
Once inside the park, the road will fork with the left going past the visitor center and on to Cedar Grove, which is another great fishing destination in late summer/early fall.
The right fork goes to Sequoia National park. Follow this road for a few miles, and you come to a secondary paved road leading to the left to Big Meadow.
Secondary roads to the trailheads:
Road classification: For the purpose of this site, I’ve placed secondary roads into five categories: Class 1 roads are paved, perhaps poorly, but paved, and accessible by any vehicle. Class 2 are dirt or gravel roads that can be driven carefully in low to the ground passenger cars. Class three are best left to SUVs and pickups with some ground clearance, although some brave drivers take chances. Class 4, you’d better have four wheel drive. Class 5 are OHV trails that shouldn’t be attempted unless you have a specially designed rock crawler sort of vehicle.
Directions to the Potter Pass, Sample Meadow, and Billy Creek Trailheads
(Kaiser Wilderness Trailheads):
Once you cross the concrete bridge on Highway 168 on the far side of Huntington Lake, the highway turns right and goes past the Eastwood Visitor Center and begins to climb. Go left and you leave the highway for a secondary paved road that goes around the back side of Huntington and leads to the Billy Creek Trailhead, 4.5 miles from the junction with Highway 168. The trailhead is reached by turning right and driving through the Billy Creek Campground, then following the signs to a parking area and signed trail.
Following the highway past the Eastwood Visitor’s center, where wilderness permits and maps can be had if necessary, it is 4.5 miles to the Potter Pass trailhead, which is right beside the highway and easily identified by a parking lot and privy. From there, it is another mile to the end of 168 and the beginning of Kaiser Pass Road, which is one lane and quite steep in places, but it is a paved class 1 road, and drivable for any car. It is about a mile and a half to the top of Kaiser Pass from that point.
There is a class 3 dirt road leading right from the top of Kaiser Pass about a mile to the White Bark Vista Point. If you have a little extra time and good ground clearance, the view is well worth the drive. From White Bark, this road becomes a class 5 OHV trail to Mallard, Lakecamp, and Ershem Lakes and eventually to Courtwright Reservoir.
There are restrooms at the top of Kaiser Pass. Continuing on Kaiser Pass Road from the top for two more miles, there is a sign indicating Sample Meadow on the left. That is a class 2 dirt road that leads another 2 miles to Sample Meadow Trailhead. Eight tenths of a mile farther, there is a road to Sample Meadow Campground, which is first come, first served, and usually not full.
Continuing on the Sample Meadow road past Sample Meadow Campground for 3.7 miles, the traveler comes to a class 4 road to Mount Tom on the right. After one more mile, there is a concrete bridge across Kaiser Creek, and two tenths more leads to a class 4 road on the left that climbs to the jumping off point to Pryor Lake. This road is 2 and a half miles long. There is now a new official trail to Pryor Lake, but it can be difficult to find.
​
Directions to the trails leading into the Dinkey Lakes Wilderness
Willow Meadow Trailhead
One of the main trailheads into the Dinkey Lakes Wilderness is the Willow Meadow Trailhead. There are two routes to this trailhead. One is off of the Dinkey Creek Road as follows: Note: As of now (summer 2019) there is a bridge out on the route via Dinkey Creek Road. When/if it will be fixed is unknown.
Make a right turn off of 168 onto Dinkey Creek Road just as it enters the Town of Shaver Lake. It is 21 miles from this point to the Willow Meadow Trailhead At mile 9, turn off of Dinkey Creek road on to a class 1 road on the left. There is a sign here indicating Dinkey lakes and Swamp Lake trailhead. At mile 12, pass the turnoff to the Bald Mountain OHV trail. Soon after that, you will cross a bridge across Rock Creek. Rock is a small stream that has a few small brown trout. Around mile 15, the road forks. You need to take the right fork, as the left will take you back to Highway 168. After crossing another small stream at mile 16, you come to another fork. This time, go left on to a dirt road that soon becomes a class 3. At mile 17, there is an interesting little waterfall to the left, after which the road makes a switchback and comes to another waterfall on the same stream on the right. At mile 19, there is a signed fork to a road leading right for another two miles to the Willow Meadow Trailhead. This road climbs steeply and is quite curvy and rough I judge it a class 4, but brave drivers of sedans have made it in. Most even make it out as well. At the top of the ridge, it descends on a paved section to a turn off to the left that leads to a large dirt parking area that is the Willow Meadow Trailhead. Go past here, and you're on a class 5 road, so beware. Note: As of August, 2019, this road was closed due to a bridge being out. Go on the Tamarack Ridge route instead.
​
This starts as a class 2 road, then goes to a class 3 and close to a 4. I used to drive a two wheel drive pickup there, and only got stuck once. You decide.
​
Willow Meadow via 168
​
The other way to Willow Meadow is about the same degree of difficulty, and the same distance. It is as follows:
​
From the junction of Highway 168 and Dinkey Creek Road, continue on 168 for 10 miles to the top of Tamarack Ridge. Here, there is a snow park on the right hand side of the highway. Turn here, and find a class 1 road on the far side of the snow park. It soon becomes a class 3, so be ready. At mile 13, expect a fork with a sign indicating the way to the Brewer Lake to the left. Follow this route, as you will soon pass that trailhead. Less than half a mile later, there is another fork. Bear left once again. At mile 15, there will be yet another fork. Go right this time, only to find yet another fork in two tenths of a mile. Go right again. At mile 16, there is another decision. It is best to go left this time. At mile 17, you will come to the Brewer Lake Trailhead to the left. There usually are signs at all of the significant intersections, placed there by the four wheel drive clubs. After passing the Brewer lake trailhead (an OHV trail), you’re on your own, except for the directions on this site. After passing the Brewer trailhead, there are several roads. Each time, left is the correct choice. The road descends to a bridge over Cow Creek at mile 19. The road then ascends to the intersection described above. There is a sign here, but it faces the wrong direction. Go left. Another two miles takes you to Willow Meadow Trailhead. Note: This is a rough, difficult 2 miles, not recommended for passenger vehicles, and it's getting worse as the Forest Service, who maintains dirt roads, spends what money it has on fire protection. Update: There has been logging in this area, and road improvements as a result. Unfortunately that doesn't apply to that last two miles, which are quite rough.
Note: The left turns after the Brewer Lake Trailhead become right turns on the way out. I led several carloads of hikers here the summer of 2019, and they got lost coming out by making a left turn.
​
The Brewer Lake Trailhead:
​
The Brewer Lake trail is an OHV route. It is easier to drive than the Coyote Lake trail or the trail from the top of Kaiser Pass, but is not for the faint of heart. I managed to drive most of it in a stock 4/4 Toyota Tundra, but I don’t recommend it. It leads for about three miles to Brewer Lake. Beyond Brewer are Tocher and Beryl Lakes, which are not actually part of the Dinkey lakes Wilderness, but are close. Since they don’t have roads, don’t really have trails even, and aren’t in the wilderness, few people ever visit them.
​
The Brewer Lake Trailhead is accessed from the route to Willow Meadow from 168, described above.
​
Red Mountain Trailhead
​
The road to the Red Mountain Trailhead starts out as an easy looking class 2 dirt road, but don’t be fooled. This road deteriorates to a class four for the last couple of miles.
​
2.6 miles past the snow park on 168 described above, and immediately after crossing the bridge at Tamarack Creek, the road to Red Mountain Trailhead is found on the right. 1.8 miles from Highway 168, there is a signed fork. Bear right and find another fork three miles from the highway. Bear left this time. After about six miles, you come to a dirt parking and primitive camping area with some class 5 OHV trails leading from it. One of those trails goes to Red Lake, then Coyote Lake, which is the biggest and perhaps the most beautiful lake in the Dinkey Lakes area. The trail to Coyote Lake is about three miles and follows the OHV route. This is the easiest route to Coyote Lake, but it is also possible to get there via First Dinkey Lake.
​
There are further class 5 OHV trails leading to Mirror, West, and Strawberry Lakes (not described on this site) from here.
​
Cliff Lake Trailhead:
It is 35 miles from the Town of Shaver Lake to the Cliff Lake trailhead via Dinkey Creek and McKinley Grove Roads. 11 miles after turning off of Highway 168 on the Dinkey Creek Road in Shaver Lake, start looking for the bridge on the right hand side that crosses Dinkey Creek and goes to McKinley Grove Road. At mile 17, you pass McKinley Grove, for which the road is named. It is a grove of giant sequoias and has a picnic area and interpretive trails. This makes a nice side trip if you have the time. At mile 25, you make a left hand turn on to a somewhat narrower, yet still paved and well maintained, road leading to Courtwright Reservoir. There is a scenic overlook at mile 30. At mile 32, you come to the Reservoir. A right turn takes you to a boat launch ramp and a road going to the far side. This accesses trails leading to Red Mountain Basin and the somewhat grimly named Hell-for Sure Pass. If you bear left and go around the reservoir, the road ends with a gate and a sign indicating private property. A dirt parking lot is to the left. This is the Cliff Lake Trailhead. Bear boxes are provided in case you plan to leave a vehicle at the trailhead overnight and would rather not have ursine visitors exploring your upholstery.
Note: It takes nearly an hour to drive the 35 miles from Shaver to Courtwright, which tells you something about the lack of straight parts to this road, so take your time and enjoy the views. There are campgrounds at Courtwright near the trailhead as well as along the way in case you find yourself running out of daylight. There is no gas available along this route past Shaver Lake.
​
If you are driving a low to the ground sedan sort of vehicle, this is the most practical trailhead to use to access the Dinkey Lakes, the one least likely to result in damage to your car. This trail leads to Cliff and Nelson Lakes, then over the pass to the same lakes accessed by the Willow meadow trailhead described above.
​
Trailheads into the Jenny Lakes Wilderness
​
At the Y just inside Kings Canyon National Park (Highway 180), a right turn toward Sequoia National Park takes you to a secondary paved road on the left in about 4 miles. Follow this secondary (class 1)road for about four miles, and you come to the Big Meadow Trailhead with its paved parking areas.
​
Continue past the Big Meadow Trailhead, and you come to a series of five campgrounds, all first come first served and seldom full. Once past the campgrounds, the road crosses a concrete bridge over Big Meadow Creek. A little way past the bridge, there is a dirt road on the right. I’d consider parts of this road a class 3, but I have seen sedans at the trailhead. It goes about a mile and a half to the Fox Meadow Trailhead. From here, it is just over two miles to Weaver Lake, or about five to Jenny Lake. You save about a mile of hiking going here versus stopping at the main trailhead.
Here is a link to a topographic map of the areas in question
​