Tag: Crystal Basin
Wrights Lake is the right choice for hiking, kayaking, camping and scenery
With an elevation of nearly 7,000 feet, Wrights Lake (Wright’s Lake) is a beautiful recreation area located in El Dorado County near Highway 50. In addition to camping, hiking and kayaking, Wrights Lake offers stunning landscapes of clear water, the timber belt and the rocky peaks of the Sierra Nevada mountains. How did Wrights...
Loon Lake: a gateway to Crystal Basin fun and adventure
Loon Lake can be accessed year round, although various portions of the area are seasonal. This lake truly is a gateway to many opportunities of exploration and adventure within the Crystal Basin and Desolation Wilderness. Directions Loon Lake is located a few miles east of Ice House Road, in the northern portion of the Crystal …...
A quick look at Ice House Reservoir
Directions Take Highway 50 East from Sacramento and head toward Placerville. You will make a left onto Ice House Road which is located about 22 miles east of Placerville. The road is narrow at points and has many twists and turns. The speed limit is anywhere from 25 to 40 mph depending on the location. …...
Horsetail Falls: A challenging hike to an impressive waterfall
The trailhead begins at 6000 feet in elevation and climbs up to 7200 feet in elevation at the top of the waterfall. The trail is only 1.5 miles to the base of the waterfall. However, it’s easy to lose when traveling over the granite slabs. Additionally, the hike to the top of the waterfall requires …...
Beauty Lake: It’s beauty depends on the time of day and the season
For my trip, I chose to further explore closer to Wrights Lake and only took the Rockbound trail 0.5 miles to reach Beauty Lake. Despite many hikers questioning the true “beauty” of Beauty Lake, I actually enjoyed the scenery and the view. In fact, I was able to get some nice pictures and avoid most …...
A quick look at Dark Lake
The lake is roughly at the 7000 foot elevation mark. It seems to be more popular for fishing rather than hiking or picture taking. Directions From Sacramento, head east on Highway 50 past Placerville. Roughly 4.5 miles east of the town of Kyburz is Wrights Road. Make a left onto Wrights Road and travel 8 …...
Twin Lakes Trail: A moderately strenuous trail with plenty of lakes to explore
The Twin Lakes trail is located in Desolation Wilderness on the northern side of Wrights Lake in El Dorado County. This trail is a moderately strenuous one because it’s all uphill from the trailhead to Twin Lakes. There is an elevation change of roughly 1300 feet and the trail can be difficult at times to …...
Bassi Falls: it’s all in the timing
Bassi Falls is a stunning seasonal 110 foot waterfall located in the El Dorado National Forest of El Dorado County. This waterfall requires some planning and preparation to truly maximize a visit. However, if you put in the prep work, your visit will be a memorable one. Who was Bassi? Giosue Bassi was born to Antonio …...
