Lakes & Trails

The High Lakes OHV area consists more of rough and rocky century-old trails leading to pretty lakes, than hardcore rock crawling, with a few very fun exceptions. The area can get as much snow as anywhere in the country, with almost as much wheeling interest in winter as in summer. Timing of access is generally at least late-June, and limited by uphill snow drifts approaching the 6600 ft elevation of the north entrance from both sides.

The natural lakes all hold some degree of trout and catfish, and most had small circa-1964 dams installed in an attempt to make fishing better, but all are now in some degree of disrepair. Fish if you want - its a really mostly a remote wheeling and camping spot.

Spring Valley Lake (trail 611)

first lake in, headwaters of Rock Creek
spring-fed, thin ice spots in winter
has a large flat area - the FOTHL gathering spot
reachable (carefully) without 4WD
a few less-busy campsites around the lake
mostly tiny, starved catfish

Long Lake (trail 613/614)

busiest camping lake, can be a bit of a party
must pass thru the “Stairsteps” on the 611 to get here, a high clearance 4WD section
trough in lower-middle holds decent brookies

Morris Lake (trail 608)

one of the largest, prettiest, and deepest of The High Lakes
the trail to the lake is extreme rock crawling, multiple lines but no bypasses
adding to the difficulty is you must drop in first and then make it out
no winch points, so some groups leave a rig at the top of the extreme section
attracts spectators on weekends in summertime
supposedly there are fish
~2 campsites, but if you stay over, you won’t sleep, thinking about getting out

Bear Lake (trail 519)

fun continuous ‘pay attention’ trail
Pucker Point - a 50 ft shelf road section a mile down 519, currently “fixed”, but prone to rockslides
V-Notch - a 15 ft steep rock section on 519 that makes short wheelbase rigs quite uncomfortable
one drive-in campsite, one walk-in site (across the outflow creek)
trail is an old route into the High Lakes from North Valley

Pipejam (lower 519)

difficult trail starts at the hidden Pipejam Lake, just a snow pond, but a nice large "staging" campsite
its “Pipejam - where someone always comes out on a strap”
out-and-back only 1.5 mile trail, which cherry-stems through an SPI parcel and ends at a small section of the Lassen National Forest
about 6 really hard obstacle sections
no matter which direction you are going, you will think the other way seems easier
swimming hole by the first campsite just below Bear lake at the remains of the old shingle mill

Pucker Point

the V-Notch

"swimming" hole on Rock Creek

Campbell Lake (trail 613)

Saddle Lake (trail 612)

Campbell Lake (Long Lake in background)

a couple campsites on each side of the creek
spring-fed, some trout
upper lake of the Campbell-Long combo

sideview of the Wall

the Wall - a tapering “Backdoor”-like rock face on the way in to Saddle (pic is old - way harder now)
any use of the meadow as a bypass will CLOSE this trail
the trail is not that much easier after the Wall.
two campsites, a great one along the east side.one backup at the dam
Fishing can be good at times, early season and late season

Saddle Lake & campsite

Grassy Lake (trail 614)

2 small backup campsites, just before and after the outflow

“Twister” (616+615+610+... the south side loop)

once a fairly easy and fast trail into the lakes from the southern entrances
in 2008 it burned, dozers turned the trail into a fire break
FOTHL quickly had them replace the trail by placing rocks at a “full-width” spacing
navigating those “natural-looking” boulders flexes suspension in low range all the way from Grassy Lake to the 24N04 connector

Reese Flat (trail 614 (<50")

a single-track only portion of the 614
maintained sporadically (in between fires)

Mud Lake (619)

fun short medium rock trail down in from 611
One campsite, remote, peaceful
A good place to start a hike into the Non-Motorized section

Chips Lake (trail needs a number)

Chips Lake

not a trout...

motorized trail only goes to the first lake - a pretty snow pond with a campsite
take the 611 up the climb after the 619, and 30 feet after you top-out, look left and start down the double track
actual “named” lake is hike-in only
fished out by some guy from LA that flew in his helicopter

upper snow pond

Hike-In Lakes

Oliver Lake and Murphy Lake (hike in - no trail)

Oliver Lake

Murphy Lake