With recent rain the peak was covered in large puddles resembling tide pools. Lucky for me I missed the cow season, even though I saw lots of evidence of cattle, even a thousand feet up my ascent of Granite Dome. Dark clouds were gathering overhead so we hiked quickly across the ridge and found the summit marker. After the standard pre-dawn departure, ... We followed the conga line of lakes towards Granite Dome -- Iceland, Ridge, Sardella, Lewis. With easy walking distance are a number other great lakes. The wide vistas above our wilderness camps will afford us marvelous views of nighttime sky. Anglers often spend a week there, working around its long shoreline. Emigrant Wilderness The region includes volcanic peaks, granite domes, barren basins, and over 100 lakes! Also … Desolation Wilderness. Sure, it doesn't have the falls like Yosemite, but it's got the solitude. To celebrate, we added bits of blaze orange to our already fashion forward hiking clothes. Rounded granite domes, alpine meadows, cascading streams, and stately forests greet backpackers on the 14-mile journey to the lake. Originally planned for granite Dome but we had a couple first timers who were smoked day 1 so we made a short out and back trip stopping by some lakes. Terrain varies from rolling hills to ridges and granite domes, with many lakes surrounded by stands of lodgepole pine. Cassidy Crossing on the San Joaquin River… a big watershed on the western slopes of the Sierra Nevada south of Yosemite Valley in the Ansel Adams Wilderness Area… is California’s best kept secret! Check out the links in the side bar for more info from the Stanislaus National Forest. Those times I've went, I can count the number of people I've run into on two hands. A Wilderness Permit is required for all overnight trips into the Emigrant Wilderness, April 1 through November 30 each year, ) however, there are no quotas or fees within the Emigrant. The trail weaves through the high alpine basin, crossing High Emigrant Lake, then to Emigrant Meadow Lake and continues to contour west moving through all the lakes and rivers. This part of the Sierra, the Emigrant Wilderness, which lines the northern border of Yosemite, is renowned for its many lakes and endless granite basins, domes, and volcanic peaks. It was also hunting season -- Emigrant is a Wilderness Area and plays by different rules than a National Park. Emigrant Wilderness, located south of Hwy. Granite Dome in Emigrant Wilderness by belowi » Thu Jun 30, 2011 2:47 pm I am planning a 3 night backpacking trip in August using the Crabtree trailhead in the Emigrant Wilderness. Gianelli Trail to Chewing Gum Lake, Leopold Lake, Deer Lake and Gem Lake. This backpack trip will travel through Emigrant Wilderness and … But it’s much less crowded than its neighbor to the South, offering more solitude for backpacking. There were cow patties in all the meadows, and some of the trails in the meadow were likely from the cows. The Emigrant Wilderness is usually reached from highway 108, about 4 hours east of the San Francisco Bay Area, ... You can obviously follow any other cross-country route to Granite Dome: your destination is approximately at N38.21538/W119.74524 but there are intimidating ranges all around Granite Dome if you don't go up from the Lewis Lakes. Elevations range from 5,000 to 11,570 feet. The northeastern third of the Wilderness is dominated by volcanic ridges and peaks; the remaining areas consist of many sparsely vegetated, granitic ridges interspersed with numerous lakes and meadows. Entering the Emigrant Wilderness, near Pinecrest at the Crabtree trailhead, we will be hiking past many beautiful lakes and volcanic, granite peaks and domes within the Central California Sierra Nevada. Emigrant Wilderness. The Emigrant Wilderness of Stanislaus National Forest is a wilderness area in the Sierra Nevada mountains of California, USA. Vegetation is characterized by pinyon-juniper pine on the highlands of the plateau, grading to sagebrush scrub in the desert below. Most of the lakes are surrounded by lodgepole pine. Stanislaus National Forest. We had decided to take day packs to the summit and grab the tent on the way out. Tells Peak and Forni Lake. The actual summit of Granite Dome is on the far west side. Cool contact between granite and what I believe are lahars. Headed to Crabtree Trail, and took the trail to Camp Lake. Are you looking for amazing river pools, granite domes, giant trees, spectacular views, historic sites, bridges, wetlands, and plenty of camping sites… with very few other visitors? The streams are subject to heavy runoff from the winter snows and the streambeds are scoured leaving little habitat for much insect activity. Granite Dome in Emigrant Wilderness The views from the top of Granite Dome look out across the entire Emigrant Wilderness and there are many pristine mountain lakes nestled in the expansive and gently sloping granite slopes, polished smooth by glaciers. Old-growth trees, crystalline streams, and granite domes dot the western Sierra, and when I walk through the area I experience the full breadth of its fluid stillness—if I can be alone for a sec. https://trailspress.com/2014/05/15/emigrant-wilderness-granite-dome Kennedy Meadows to Granite Dome. Emigrant Wilderness is in Stanislaus National Forest, North of Yosemite. This path was more boulder … The rounded domes and glacier-polished granite creates stark contrasts, often making it seem high above tree line even though we barely climbed above 7900 feet (2400m) and camped below 6000 ft. There’s nothing like a relaxing weekend in the Sierra backcountry. Affordable Pack Station to carry your gear in the first 10+ miles... Getting to the Trailhead Planning and Permits This trip is located in the Emigrant Wilderness on the Stanislas National Forest. The Emigrant Wilderness of Stanislaus National Forest is a wilderness area in the Sierra Nevada.It is bordered by Yosemite National Park on the south, the Toiyabe National Forest and the Hoover Wilderness on the east, and State Route 108 over Sonora Pass on the north. We drove an hour from Sonora, CA to enter the Emigrant Wilderness, part of Stanislaus National Forest. I had time for one last weekend trip to … Wilderness Permits are required and can be picked… NEXT TRIP: Granite Dome and the fine lakes just to […] So I’m learning to look north, past Yosemite, to the quiet paths of the Emigrant Wilderness … Took a 3 day 2 night trip to Emigrant this past weekend with 5 other friends. BACKGROUND: Earlier in the year I did a 4 day backpacking trip to the Emigrant Wilderness. Return back to Sardella Lake. 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