Table of Contents
Acknowledgments xi
Meet Your Guide xii
Introduction 1
Overview of the Range 4
The Story in the Stone 5
A Brief Human History 9
Planning Your Hike: When to Go 12
Public Land jurisdiction 15
Mountain Hazards 17
Mountain Etiquette 24
How to Use This Guide 28
Map Legend 32
The Hikes
Northern Gold Country 33
1 North Table Mountain 34
2 Jamison Lake 42
3 Eureka Peak 46
4 Sierra Buttes 48
5 Halls Ranch Trail to Fiddle Creek 52
6 Humbug Trail to the Yuba River 55
7 Independence Trail East 59
8 Point Defiance Loop 63
9 Spenceville to Shingle Falls 67
10 Empire Mine Loop 71
11 Cascade Canal 76
12 South Yuba River Trail 79
13 The Quarry Trail Loop 83
14 The Cool-to-Canyon Loop 87
15 Otter Creek Trail to Volcanoville 89
16 Coloma Loop 92
17 The Last Chance Trail to Swinging Bridge 96
18 American River Canyon Trek 101
Honorable Mentions
A Big Chico Creek 105
B Yellow Creek Trail 105
C Big Bald Rock 106
D Frazier Falls 106
E Sand Pond Trail 107
F Sierra Valley Preserve 107
G Malakoff Diggins 108
H Nevada City Trails 108
I Yuba Rim Trail 109
J Gold Bug Park, Placerville 109
Southern Gold Country 110
19 The Mokelumne River Trail to Middle Bar 111
20 Independence Flat Loop 115
21 The Upper Natural Bridge of Calaveras County 117
22 Tuolumne Table Mountain 120
23 Red Hills Loop 124
24 Merced River Trail 128
25 Hite Cove 131
Honorable Mentions
K Lake Camanche Trails 135
L Indian Grinding Rock State Historic Park 136
M Knights Ferry 136
N Columbia State Historic Park 137
Around Lake Tahoe 138
26 Glacier Lake 139
27 Loch Leven Lakes 142
28 Historic Donner Pass 145
29 Tinker Knob 150
30 Alpine Meadows to Palisades Tahoe 155
31 The Ophir Creek Trail from Tahoe Meadows 159
32 Meeks Bay to Crag Lake 163
33 Rubicon Trail from Emerald Bay to Lester Beach 166
34 Mount Tallac 170
35 Hawley Grade 174
36 Lake Aloha 177
37 Lovers Leap 181
38 Round Lake 184
39 Carson Pass to Fourth of July Lake 188
40 Charity Valley to Hot Springs Valley 192
Honorable Mentions
O Eagle Lake 196
P Cascade Falls 196
Q Rainbow Trail 196
R Sand Point Nature Trail 197
S The West Fork Trail at River Fork Ranch 198
Along the Ebbetts Pass Road 199
41 Calaveras South Grove 200
42 Wheeler Lake 205
43 Bull Run Lake 209
44 Ebbetts Pass to the Hoodoos above Eagle Creek 212
45 Noble Lake 216
Honorable Mention
T Inspiration Point 218
Along the Sonora Pass Road 219
46 West Side Railroad Trail to the Tuolumne North Fork 220
47 Burst Rock Trail to Chewing Gum Lake 224
48 Disaster Creek Trail 228
49 Sonora Pass to Latopie Lake 232
50 Leavitt Meadow to Fremont Lake 235
Honorable Mentions
U Trail of the Gargoyles 239
V Columns of the Giants 239
W Sonora Pass Vista 239
Around Yosemite 241
51 Preston Falls 242
52 Little Nellie Falls 245
53 Yosemite Falls 248
54 Finding Solitude, Scenery, and Lore in Yosemite Valley 252
55 Vernal and Nevada Falls 258
56 Sentinel Dome, the Fissures, and Taft Point 263
57 Chilnualna Falls 267
58 Clouds Rest 270
59 Cathedral Lakes 274
60 Lembert Dome 278
61 Glen Aulin and Waterwheel Falls 281
62 Gaylor Lakes and the Great Sierra Mine 286
63 Bennettville 289
64 Twenty Lakes Basin 291
Honorable Mentions
X Rockefeller Grove of Sugar Pines 295
Y Wandering on Tuolumne Meadows 295
The Western Slope around Kings Canyon and Sequoia 297
65 Big Table Mountain 298
66 San Joaquin River Gorge to Pa'san Ridge 302
67 George Lake, Kaiser Peak Wilderness 306
68 Florence Lake to Evolution Valley 309
69 Boole Tree 314
70 Yucca Point Trail into Kings Canyon 317
71 Mist Falls 320
72 Deadman Canyon Backpack Trip 324
73 Heather Lake via the Watchtower 330
74 Giant Forest to Bearpaw Meadow 333
75 Bearpaw Meadow to Hamilton Lake 337
76 Bearpaw Meadow to Tamarack Lake 339
77 Bearpaw Meadow to Redwood Meadow 341
78 Kaweah River Trail 343
79 Mineral King to Crystal Lake 348
80 Remington Ridge Trail to Lightner Peak 351
Honorable Mentions
Z Stevenson Creek Falls 355
AA Boyden Cavern 356
BB Grant Grove 356
CC Muir Grove 356
DD Moro Rock 357
EE Tharps Log 358
FF Ladybug Camp 358
GG Dome Rock 359
HH Trail of 100 Giants 359
Eastern Sierra: High Great Basin 360
81 Snodgrass Creek to the Soda Cone 361
82 Llewellyn Falls Loop 365
83 Through the Roughs to Kirkwood Pass 368
84 Barney Robinson, and Crown Lakes 373
85 Virginia Lakes Basin 377
86 Lundy Lake to the May Lundy Mine 380
87 Black Point Fissures 384
88 Panum Crater 388
89 Up Dragons Back to Seven Lakes Point 391
90 Duck Lake 395
91 Minaret Summit Ridge 398
92 Shadow and Ediza Lakes 401
93 Rainbow Falls via Devils Postpile 404
Honorable Mentions
II South Tufa Trail 408
JJ Hot Creek Gorge 409
KK Mammoth to Crystal Lake 410
LL Mammoth Consolidated Gold Mine 410
Eastern Sierra: Owens Valley 411
94 Little Lakes Valley to Gem Lakes 412
95 Lower Rock Creek Canyon 415
96 Muir Pass via Bishop Pass 418
97 Big Pine Lakes Basin 422
98 Glacier Lodge to Brainerd Lake 426
99 Methuselah National Recreation Trail 429
100 White Mountain Peak 433
101 Whitney Portal Natural Arch 437
102 Mount Whitney Trail to Lone Pine Lake 441
103 Turtle Creek Ashram 444
104 Rockhouse Basin 448
Honorable Mentions
MM Owens River Gorge 452
NN Alabama Hills Arch Loop Trail 453
OO Piñon Pine Nature Trail 453
PP Patriarch Grove of Bristlecone Pines 454
QQ Fossil Falls Gorge 454
