Emigrant Wilderness

- Two trips from Crabtree Trailhead with Pepper. One to Camp Lake and the other beyond.

Tips

• Lots of parking at the trailhead, but it gets very crowded during the summer months.
• Mosquitos swarm the area in the early season after the snow melts. Some locals wait until later summer to avoid the bugs.
• Wonderful places to stay all along Hwy 108 if you are coming from sea level and need a night beforehand.
• I always stop at the Strawberry General Store either before or after to grab some food and fresh made fudge.
• So many lakes! You can explore the lakes and find your favorite. Mine was Gem Lake.

HIKE 2

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This was a Big Hike. I chose it because I wanted to process some stuff and reconnect with the happy memories of my first hike. It was December, so if the road from Pinecrest to Crabtree were closed, I knew I could also enjoy hiking around Pinecrest Lake.

THE HIKE

View above Camp Lake

Shores of Camp Lake

Pepper on the Snowy Trail

Highlights

• The view from the ridge above Camp Lake.
• Hiking through the trees and sun with Pepper.
• Sitting at Camp Lake and enjoying a snack.
• Being the only one at the trailhead!

RECAP

• Location: Camp Lake, Emigrant Wilderness via the Crabtree trailhead.
• Date: December 2026.
• Stats: ~5 total mileage with ~780ft elevation gain.
• Maps: NatGeo 807 Carson-Iceberg, Emigrant and Mokelumne Wilderness Areas. Emigrant Wilderness permit.

Route Map

Trailhead

HIKE 1

Skip to the route recap

This was one of my prep trips for Humphreys Basin. I chose it because of the high elevation and because one of my friends had been camping around Camp and Bear lakes for years and loved it. I had also wanted to visit Pinecrest Lake and liked that this was just adjacent to Yosemite NP. I'd definitely come back.

DAY 0

Pinecrest Lake

Day 0 Highlights

• Drove up and enjoyed beautiful Pinecrest Lake.
• Stayed at an inn in Long Barn.
• Stretched our legs on the popular trail ringing the lake.

DAY 1

View of popular Camp Lake

Rocky terrain approaching 8,000ft elevation

Lily Pad Lake

Massive husk of a tree

Gnarled juniper overlooking Cherry Creek canyon

View by our campsite at Piute Lake

Taking a break

Light fading

Day 1 Highlights

• Hiked to Piute Lake and setup camp.
• Shared my fuel with the other group at the lake - they were super nice and grateful.
• Bugs were overwhelming throughout the hike. Swarmed you and covered you in a blanket anytime you weren't moving. Glad I brought a mosquito net hat.
• Excellent weather, clear skies with beautiful and varied terrain.

DAY 2

Sunrise behind our tent

Gem Lake

Off trail swimming hole

Finished!

Day 2 Highlights

• Loved seeing the different lakes as we hiked to Gem Lake, down to Grouse then back to the trailhead.
• Went cross country to a swimming hole we had seen from camp.
• Very steep climb at the end of the loop. Rested by a small pool by the trail before that final push.
• So many blowdowns! Trail needed a lot of work, and we did a lot of bushwhacking, due to all the downed trees.

RECAP

• Location: Piute Lake, Emigrant Wilderness via the Crabtree trailhead.
• Date: June 2021.
• Stats: ~20 total mileage with ~2,500ft elevation gain.
• Maps: NatGeo 807 Carson-Iceberg, Emigrant and Mokelumne Wilderness Areas. Emigrant Wilderness permit.
• It was a long dirt road drive to the trailhead and parking filled up fast. Very popular and many people choose to visit later in the season to avoid the bugs. Apparently excellent fishing.

Route Map
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Trailhead

Pepper did great!