Getting There: The Trails

Here is a description of some of the trails found here. The back country explorer will need a topographic map to find them all

Kaiser Wilderness Trails

Potter Pass Trail

Park in the paved parking area just off of Highway 168, and cross the road to a well marked trailhead. The trail ascends through fairly open country to the top of Potter Pass, where there is a junction with a trail that goes back down to Huntington Lake on the left, and one that goes right to Idaho Lake. This latter may be poorly marked and unmaintained. There is a sign indicating the Kaiser Wilderness here. It is a good place to stop and take a breath while enjoying the breathtaking views of the Sierra. You can see Red mountain and the Three Sisters Peaks that are in the Dinkey Lakes Wilderness in one direction, Mounts Ritter and Banner near Yosemite in another. A panoramic view of Huntington Lake can be seen just before reaching the top of the pass. Fall colors are spectacular here in October.

It’s also a good idea to turn around and look back at the trail you just hiked. It would be easy to take the wrong fork on the return trip. The right fork goes down to Huntington Lake, the left back to the Potter Pass trailhead.

The trail goes down a fairly steep but short descent to skirt around an emerald meadow, and then continues up and down through a rocky area. At the bottom of the descent, there is a signed fork, the right leading to Sample Meadow, and the left to Twin Lakes. The trail goes through a boulder field with great examples of erratics, boulders left here by glaciers thousands of years ago. Glacial polish, granite smoothed by glaciers, is quite evident in this area.

The trail comes first to forested Lower Twin Lake, then on less than a quarter mile to Upper Twin before continuing on to George Lake. The trail this far is just under 4 miles. Continuing on to George Lake and the end of the trail takes the hiker another mile or so, mostly uphill.

About halfway from Upper Twin to George, the cross country traveler can start to follow a map or GPS to Walling Lake.

Nellie Lake (Billy Creek) trail

The trail to Nellie is a delightful ramble for the fit hiker. It is not long, but involves considerable climbing, some of it quite steep. The trail ascends through pine and fir forest to a ridge, follows that ridge for a while, then climbs again to the trail junction leading toward Kaiser Peak. Take the left fork here, and continue climbing. Soon, the hiker comes to the crest of a hill, with glimpses of blue water at the bottom. It is a short hike from here down to Nellie Lake.

Sample Meadow Trail

This provides a somewhat easier route to Upper Twin, George, and Walling lakes. The trip to Upper Twin is just over six miles (round trip), making it a good bet for a beginner.

The trail is well marked at the beginning, where it follows a gentle descent toward Sample Meadow Creek. There is a log crossing here. This first crossing may be difficult to find. If the trail seems to fade out, go back and look for the log and/or the ford. It is possible to ford this stream in late season and come out with dry feet on the other side. It is also possible to get lost if you continue to try to follow the trail after having missed the stream crossing. It has been done in the past.

Once across, the trail follows the stream for a while to a second crossing. There is a log crossing here, along with a stream crossing that is basically a dry foot rock hop in the late season, but more difficult in the early season. The trail then gradually ascends to a less brushy area. It crosses a smaller feeder stream, which is a step across most of the time, then continues to follow the first stream up a steeper hill. At one point, there is an interesting little waterfall off to the left of the trail that can be found by listening for it. Once at the top of the hill, the trail crosses the creek one more time. There is no log across the stream here so staying dry in the early season can be a challenge, but if you follow the creek upstream a little way from the trail crossing, you will find where it springs out of a rock. This is actually the outflow from Upper Twin, which disappears into a limestone cave soon after leaving the lake, to reappear here. It is possible to hike around the stream by following a duck marked route up and over the outlet and back to the trail on the other side.

There are quite a few little trout in the stream you have been following. It is possible to fish here if you’re adept at angling small brushy streams.

The trail goes over a little pass, then comes out at Upper Twin Lake. This is one place where the Sample Meadow and Potter pass trails meet. At this point, the hiker has gone about three miles. It is another mile to George Lake, off to the right. Going left takes you back to Lower Twin Lake in about a quarter mile, then on back over Potter Pass. If the hiker has left a vehicle at the Potter Pass Trailhead, it’s possible to make this a loop hike instead of an in and out.

Trail to Idaho Lake

This is a secondary and difficult to follow trail that leads to the right from Potter Pass. This trail should not be attempted except by hikers who are adept at route finding. It descends a little bit, but not all the way to the meadow. It then traverses a ridge, and then goes over it to a steep descent on the other side to a little unnamed tarn. After crossing the outlet of the tarn, it becomes even more indistinct. It follows the hill around to the right, and then ascends to Idaho Lake.

Trails in Dinkey Lakes Wilderness

Willow Meadow Trail:

This trail was obviously designed by the same people who make mazes for lab rats. I’ve met two different parties of hikers who were hiking out when they thought they were hiking in. Here’s why:

There are two trails leading from the parking area. The one at the far (east) end of the area is an old trail that is no longer maintained. It follows the creek on the left hand side. It descends to the creek but does not cross it. The new trail goes down a steep hill to the right (south), crosses the creek, and then immediately ascends a hill on the other side. There is a third trail that branches off and follows the stream for a while to the left soon after crossing the creek. This trail goes to a little waterfall that can be quite spectacular in the early season, but that trail soon ends. . The new trail goes up the hill immediately after crossing the creek, then cuts left and goes upstream a good distance from the water. After a half mile or so, the trail meets the creek once again, and crosses it to join with the old trail that has been on the left hand side all along. Hikers unfamiliar with the area sometimes turn left here and head back to the parking lot. Others start on the old trail, then cross the creek and head back to the parking lot on the new trail.

For most of the year, the creek can be crossed with dry feet. If the water is high, then follow the rough unmaintained “old” trail, and avoid the creek crossing. Otherwise, it is best to follow the new trail, crossing Dinkey Creek twice, and then turning right after the second crossing.

Whew! We got past that little maze. Now, the route is pretty straightforward. The trail follows Dinkey Creek to a junction with the Mystery Lake trail found soon after negotiating a series of switchbacks over boulders. The trail to Mystery Lake goes off to the right, crosses the creek, and then climbs steeply to nearby Mystery Lake. At this point, the hiker has gone not quite two miles. Stay on the left hand side of the creek and follow the trail for another couple of miles, and you come to First Dinkey. On the way, you will follow a gently ascending trail most the way.

Once at First Dinkey, the hiker has several options. One is to go over the ridge to Coyote Lake, as follows:

On arriving at the lake, bear left and follow the trail part way around. There are several trails here, many of them leading to camping areas, so it may be necessary to look around a bit to find the right junction.

The coyote Lake trail is not as well maintained as other trails in the area, and may not be always easy to follow. If you wander off of the trail, use a GPS or map and compass to find your way back. If you can’t do that, it is best to stay at First Dinkey.

The trail goes up and over a ridge, then follows a seasonal stream that empties into Coyote Lake. There are views of First Dinkey South and Swede Lakes from the top of the ridge, and of Red Mountain on the other side.

Another option, once having arrived at First Dinkey Lake, is to follow the loop around and back to the trailhead. That trip is as follows:

You will find a maze of trails around the lake, but if you simply make your way around the lake, following one trail then another, look around, you will come to a well marked trail on the far (west) side of the lake. There is a junction here to Second Dinkey, Rock, and Island lakes, which can make an interesting side tour. Following the trail to the right leads the hiker around First Dinkey to South Lake. From there, the trail crosses the small outlet stream that flows from South to first Dinkey. The trail then climbs up and over a low ridge, then back down to Swede Lake. After crossing the outlet stream, the trail then descends steeply to a large meadow. Here, the trail forks, with one fork leading around Mystery Lake to the right, while the other leads around the lake to the left. It really doesn’t matter which fork you take, as the trail comes back together again at the far end of the lake. At the far side of Mystery, the trail then descends steeply back to Dinkey Creek, where it crosses and joins the trail to First Dinkey. Turn left here for a mile jaunt back to the parking lot.

While it is possible to hike this loop in reverse, the steep descent from Swede and Mystery Lake become steep ascents going the other way. It is much easier to go around the loop clockwise.

There is an old trail that goes from Mystery Lake back down to the creek. It sometimes leads hikers astray. If you find yourself without a trail to follow, simply keep going downhill. Once you come to the creek, cross it and look for the main trail on the other side.

The Dinkey Lakes Loop is a favorite hike, as it visits four high Sierra lakes in a fairly easy seven mile trip. If you’re a good fisherman, try for the grand slam: Catch a fish out of all four lakes!

Another option from First Dinkey Lake is to continue on to Second Dinkey, Rock, and Island Lakes.

From the trail junction on the far side of First Dinkey Lake described above, bear left and begin climbing. After about a mile, you will come to Second Dinkey, where there is another trail junction. The trail to the left leads to Rock Lake, while the one to the right goes to Island. The map indicates that the Island Lake trail is “not recommended for stock”, which is another way of saying that parts of it are pretty narrow and steep. When this area was first designated as a wilderness, there was no trail to Island Lake. It appears that the trail was made not by design, but by hikers’ feet. That may not be the case, but that’s how it looks. Island is the end of the trail, and the highest lake in the area. It is an easy cross country scramble from here to a meadow above the lake where the headwaters of Dinkey Creek begin. From there, a boulder scramble leads to the left and highest peak of the Three Sisters. Be sure to sign the log book.

Brewer Lake Trail

While Brewer Lake is not actually in the wilderness area, it is still a great place to explore. You can travel the trail by vehicle as far as Brewer Lake, or you can hike the trail.

If you have a rugged four wheel drive vehicle, and are brave enough, you can drive about three miles to the Brewer Lake. I once drove a Tundra 4x4 to within about a quarter mile of the lake, where there was a narrow passage between a rock and tree that would not admit larger vehicles. A couple of caveats apply here: First, a good hiker can walk this road faster than it can be safely driven, and, second, if you get in trouble here, your towing company will not come and bail you out.

Unlike in the wilderness areas, which outlaw wheels of any sort, a mountain bike or an off road motorcycle are other options.

The route to Brewer is about three miles and starts with a series of climbs. Near the lake, the road veers sharply left, and then comes around in a long loop, adding unneeded distance to the lake. A hiker adept at the use of map/compass/GPS can take a shortcut. A hiker not adept at those skills is better advised to follow the road, then not attempt to go past Brewer Lake.

The map shows a trail going to the right of Brewer, which takes the traveler over a boulder field. It is easier to skirt the lake to the left, and then look for the trail on the other side. The word “trail” may not be really applicable, as this route is more of a cross country jaunt than a trail. The route past Tocher Lake to Beryl Lake is pretty level and easy, with the caveat that the trail may not be easy to find.

From Beryl, it is possible to ascend about 300’ via a cross country route to the OHV trail that accesses Coyote Lake. (see Red Mountain Trail) The route then turns right and follows the road for a quarter mile or so to Coyote. The total hike from the Brewer Lake Trailhead to Coyote Lake is about six miles.

Red Mountain Trailhead

If Coyote Lake is the destination, this is the easiest access to it. The trail is a class 5 OHV trail that you can drive if you have a rugged enough vehicle. It is definitely not for stock pickups or SUVs regardless of what the ads about them may say. I once rode a mountain bike over this trail, which cost me a broken fork. The hike is pretty straightforward: Just park at the trailhead and follow the trail past Red lake to Coyote, about a mile farther on. An interesting side trip is the easy boulder scramble to the top of Red Mountain, where the views are outstanding. It is about three miles from the trailhead to Coyote Lake.

Cliff Lake trailhead

This trailhead is about 350 feet above Courtwright Reservoir. The trail descends to an arm of the reservoir, and then begins climbing a small feeder stream that empties into it. The first trail junction leads to Helms Meadow, which is to the right. Keep left, and continue gradually climbing to the second junction. Here, a trail leads right to Helms Meadow, and left to Nelson lakes. The trail is a gradual climb all the way to a ridge above Cliff lake, where it is an easy descent to the visible water through open country. Just before arriving at Cliff Lake, you will pass nearby Bullfrog Lake on the right.

Go left at the fork, and you cross a seasonal stream and ascend to Nelson Lakes. It is a gradual climb.

It is just over four miles to either Cliff or Nelson Lakes. From Cliff, the hiker can continue on. The trail leads you over the ridge and down to Rock Lake. It is about the same distance going this way as it is from the Willow Meadow trailhead, roughly six miles. With a little planning, it would be quite possible to leave a vehicle at each trailhead and hike all the way across this small wilderness area.

Trails into the Jennie Lakes Wilderness

From the Big Meadow Trailhead, the trail descends gently to a small stream where there is a wooden foot bridge, crosses, then begins to ascend the other side. After about a mile, you come to the first junction. A trail leads to the left to the Fox Meadow Trailhead. After another three quarters of a mile or so, you come to a second junction. The right trail goes up and over aptly named “Poop Out Pass,” then descends into a canyon only to climb again to Jennie Lake. From the junction to the lake is about four miles.

Continue straight past the junction, cross a small stream (just a step across, no need to remove boots) and continue to ascend for another mile and a half or so to another junction. Here, two trails diverge in a wood, and you don’t want to take the one less traveled by. The trail to the right is well used and leads another couple of hundred yards to Weaver Lake.

Fox Meadow Trailhead

This trailhead meets the Big Meadow Trail in less than a quarter mile. It involves a bit more driving, including negotiating a dirt road for a while, but saves about a mile of hiking. The trail ascends gently to a meadow, no doubt called Fox Meadow, where it merges with the other trail. Be sure to turn around and look for a landmark so you know where to turn on the way back.