lake in ca / calif lakes / lake elevation / geology lakes
hike in lakes
Wilderness lakes are as pure as it gets. No cattle, no roads nearby. Snow melt, cool days, good fishing, great mountain scenery, granite, fresh air & clean water. You have to really wanna reach them. You must physically WORK to get to these remote alpine wonderlands – hike, bike, or horseback. Most prefer to backpack in and stay a while. Why not? These puppies are ONLY ACCESSIBLE a few months outta the whole year. May as well enjoy them while you can. The rest of the time most of them are frozen solid or buried with tons of serious snow. Wilderness areas do not allow dogs or mountain bikes on trails, so plan accordingly.
California is lucky to have hundreds of lakes within protected wilderness areas. Almost all are gorgeous and have very limited access. While we haven’t yet been able to hike every Wilderness in Cali, we will leave you with the best links with could find & a way to buy some maps. Most Wilderness topo maps are printed on waterproof plastic these days. The most popular topographical maps sell out often, and can be outta stock or outta print for months, or even years. The less popular areas still have the old paper maps.
Ansel Adams Wilderness
- NFS Map is OUTTA PRINT
Carson Iceberg Wilderness
- NatGeo Carson Iceberg Map
- NFS Carson Iceberg Wilderness Map
Hoover Wilderness
Monarch Wilderness (Kings Cyn)
Thousand Lakes Wilderness
Trinity Alps Wilderness
- NFS Map is OUTTA PRINT
Forget the hike!
If you are seeking a remote mountain lake that you can drive to, you will need to search for one that has the fewest people. A 4WD vehicle will help you exit the tourist traps, thru plenty of the back roads we feature. Always steer clear of crowded, holiday weekends. See the CA LAKE LIST here!
A few regions more with pristine lakes, but not dubbed Wilderness:
