Atwell Mill is near the East Fork of the Kaweah River, situated in an old logged sequoia grove with the southern Sequoia National Parks impressive Mineral King Canyon. Located 19 mi from Highway 198 near Three Rivers, CA. About 1 mi West of Silver City and 6 miles before the end of road at Mineral King.

Meadows with pines at this campground

• Elevation: 6,650′
• Number of Sites: 21
• Camping Reservations: No
• Sites Available: First come, First serve
• Vehicle Accessibility: No RVs; tents only
• Length of Stay: 14 Days
• Toilet: Pit
• Water: Piped
• Season: Closed in Winter Snow
• Fee: Yes

Bear Box in Mineral King Campground

Bear lockers for food storage are required in this region. Nice shady camp spots spaced out well at this small developed campground. Hikers parking lot is located at one end of the campground. Big bonus for hiking trails nearby.

FOOTBRIDGE HIKE: Great half day hike down to the Kaweah River. Small wooden bridge down at the river crossing and numerous trails lead off into plenty backpacking destinations around Mineral King.

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This is California – the beautiful, where millions flock on vacation. California is crowded & the tourist only increase each year. Thousands of people are looking for hiking mountains or better, a hiking lake - each weekend. Many are using the web for destinations, like the research you are doing right now. All folks seeking nature, water, fresh air & views. High Sierra, NorCal, SoCal Reservoirs, we list the best of these hiking lakes below.

Some of the lakes have mountaineering routes nearby; equestrian trails, regular hiking trails, campgrounds, some even have sorta level paved (granny) trails for biking, hiking & skating around.

High elevation or alpine lakes can be accessed best in summer months. Mountain bike, backpack, horseback into these hidden treasures. With any Sierra Nevada destination, snow pack deep can be in certain seasons. Major Highways (Sierra Passes) can be closed into June or July, due to rock slides and late snow melt. Snow shoes, snowmobile or 4×4 vehicles may be needed to reach such lakes, any months OCT-MAY (fall to spring). Winter can come early & stay late at these higher elevations of California; Be prepared for true Wilderness experience.

But maybe you are just looking for some easy hiking, loop trails & picnic spots; Or perhaps an overnight stay near a lakeside camp w/ kayak rentals. California reservoirs to alpine lakes, we have a wide variety listed below.

This page contains links to some favorite lakes with hiking trails around the lake, along the shoreline or routes on ridge lines overlooking the lake. If no good lake page could be found, we’ve linked to some photos of the lake on Flickr.

Baja California:

• Laguna Hanson

SoCal:

• Big Bear Lake
• Dixon Lake
• Lake Cuyamaca
• Green Valley Lake
• Jackson Lake
• Jenks Lake
• Lake Miramar
• Lower Otay Lakes

Central California / Sierra Nevada:

• Bass Lake
• Beardsley Lake
• Convict Lake
• Cottonwood Lakes
• Courtright Reservoir
• Coyote Lake
• Edison Lake
• Fern Lake
• Lake Genevieve
• Gold Lake
• Hetch Hetchy Reservoir
• Hume Lake
• Huntington Lake
• Kearsarge Lakes
• Mammoth Lakes
• Mammoth Pool Reservoir
• North Lake
• Pine Flat Reservoir
• Rock Creek Lake
• Saddlebag Lake
• Shaver Lake
• South Lake
• Lake Tahoe
• Tenaya Lake
• Twin Lakes
• Upper Blue Lake
• Walker Lake

NorCal:

• Lake Almanor
• Lake Britton
• Bucks Lake
• Eagle Lake
• Juniper Lake
• Medicine Lake
• Ruth Lake
• Lake Sonoma
• Whiskeytown Lake

Blackrock Reservoir in Sierra Nevada

Lakes California Map: check out all the maps we have for lakes in Cali

This area is a chunk of National Forest land located between 2 very popular National Parks. This paved road leads to some great camping, a perfect option for NOT camping inside the crowed National Parks. Turn onto well signed Big Meadow Rd. (off of Sequoia Hwy. 198). There is primitive camping all over this area & a few developed campgrounds along this route.

SEE CAMPING PHOTOS

In the first few miles, the dispersed camp sites on the right side have great views & some situated on fairly flat granite slabs, perfect for astronomer campers or adventurous RVs. To the left side of the road is more primitive style campsites in wooded areas. The whole area is also a very popular cross country ski & snowmobiling spot for winter recreation. Hunters also like these camps during hunting season (in September).

There is a large Horse Camp on the left side of the road, near the biggest meadow, for equestrian campers.

Buck Rock Campground (7600′ elevation, 5 spots) & Big Meadows Campground (7600′ elevation, 25 spots) are both family style camps, perfect for those who want picnic tables, plus bathroom nearby. Sorry no flush toilets out here, only pit toilets.

Buck Rock Fire Lookout Tower @ 8500′ elevation – is located to the north on Forest Rd # 14S02. It’s a great spot for some impressive views – if you aren’t afraid of heights. To reach the tower you must climb several flights of steel steps. This place is worth a stop if planning a sightseeing day.

Big Meadows Road is long & narrow – 12+ miles. RVs are not recommended beyond the Big Meadow Campground, as the road is one lane in some spots & it skirts a cliff edge. The views are incredible the farther you go & many creeks feed the region.
The long paved road eventually forks off into several smaller dirt roads back near Horse Corral Meadow. Way back here, the dirt roads lead out to trail heads for backpacking, horse packing or hiking in Jennie Lakes & Monarch Wilderness. Backcountry access to either Sequoia or Kings Canyon National Park! Have a good map if you plan to venture out this far. Pay attention & don’t get lost. GPS would be helpful. Some dirt roads are not even on the NFS maps.

Sequoia National Forest

Sequoia National Forest MAP

Nearby services include:

• HUME LAKE
• KINGS CANYON NATIONAL PARK
• SEQUOIA NATIONAL PARK

Warning: You could spend a whole day just driving & sightseeing in this area! Meadows, wildflowers, dirt roads, trails, Big Creek, McKinley Grove of Sequoias, Wishon Reservoir, the list goes on. All the way out to the Wilderness boundary, Courtright Lake is not a quick or easy drive.

The hikers trailhead is located at the end of Courtright Rd. Cross over the big dam to the right & drive approx one mile; look for signs on the right side of the road. There are minimal areas to set camp at this granite , windswept face. Good luck getting a tent stake in the ground. Rock rules here. There are a few developed Campgrounds on the opposite side of the lake which may be a better choice for car camping. This Maxson parking lot is primarily for backpackers.

nearby locales -

• COURTRIGHT LAKE
• WISHON LAKE
• SHAVER LAKE CA

maps of this Sierra region -

• Dinkey Lakes Wilderness Map
• John Muir Wilderness Map (Tom Harrison)
• John Muir Wilderness Map (USDA NFS)
  
• Sierra National Forest Map

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Dusy Ershim 4×4 route start right here too – on the opposite side of the road. It’s second only to the Rubicon Trail, as far as High Sierra rocks & terrain.

Rock Climbers also love this spot for the granite domes & walls. Hiking all the way around this lake is a full day trip, with lunch and sightseeing stops. A pleasure not to be rushed.

Cottonwood Lakes / Horse Camps

Cottonwood Pass – 11,200′

Cottonwood Lakes Campground, Golden Trout Campground & Horseshoe Meadows Campground… all next to Mount Whitney. This is a prime side option for Whitney & Southern High Sierra packing. Perfect for equestrian travelers, backpackers & day hikers.

Sitting at Tuttle Creek Campground at night, just outside of Lone Pine , in the Eastern Sierra – you may have wondered what the hell those lights were. Way off in the distance – to the south. Way up high. There must be another road that also heads up into the Sierra’s. Yep! Go find this special valley. It’s well worth the drive, even for just a day trip. A winding drive up from Hwy. 395, in Lone Pine CA – take Whitney Portal Rd up to Tuttle Creek Campground, see the road called Horseshoe Meadows Road on the left. Take it, all the way up, you will be glad you did. Allow hours for the drive, views, hike, & the picnic. It’s bear country so be concerned about your food. Use bear lockers, even for day trips.

Cottonwood Campground is located in the Inyo National Forest , this area is just south of Mt. Whitney, is by far much quieter than the masses at the Portal. Although camping is limited to a ‘one nights stay’, the terrain is spectacular with ample parking for backpackers, sightseers & horse trailers alike. The paved switchback road is steep & long, to say the least. RV are not recommended on this Eastern Sierra Horse Shoe Meadows Road.

• High Sierra Fishing on Cottonwood Creek
• Cottonwood Lakes Trailhead
• Horse pack trip heaven
• High Sierra Backpacking
• PCT Access
• Mount Whitney Trails
• Cottonwood Pass (11,200′) leads N to Whitney (14,494′)
• Day hike to Cottonwood Lakes
• Inyo National Forest Maps
• Golden Trout Wilderness is next door

This area is definitely geared towards Sierra backpackers & equestrian trips. The parking lots are pretty roomy, plus there is a one night stay limit on the campgrounds: Golden Trout, Cottonwood Lakes, Horseshoe Meadow. New Army Pass & the Golden Trout Wilderness are both accessed from these high Sierra trail heads. Meadows up here are large & lined with pines. They can range from lush wildflowers to golden dry. Granite, horses & high elevations!

These campgrounds up here are large with walk in access only. A common parking area is shared, along with the community fire rings & steel bear boxes. Wide open areas with tons of room for star gazing. The camp areas are not considered secluded. Very open & spacious tho. They are designed for overnighters preparing for their backpacking ventures into the nearby Sierra wilderness. This high altitude mountainous area closes for winter snows (anytime between October-May) & the campgrounds/trail heads will not be accessible. If road is open in early Spring, I imagine the cross country skiing & snow shoeing would be incredible in those huge meadows. Sierra wildflowers are abundant on certain years.

From Hwy 395 & Lone Pine CA, take Whitney Portal Rd. up to Horseshoe Meadow Rd & turn left. Follow this long & steep road due south hugging the mountain’s edge. This steep winding entrance will take you to some spectacular views over the dry desert Owens Lake & Lone Pine. Then turns sharply west headed straight into the pine filled Southern Sierras. This region is so high in elevation that you can actually see ‘tree line’. At 10,000′ alpine glory, this is prime backpackers country. Exposed granite mountain peaks loom above the tall ponderosa pines.

INYO National Forest: Cottonwood Lakes Campground

LONE PINE CA; Lone Pine Camping
Inyo National Forest
Mt. Whitney Ranger District
760-876-6200