Did this loop on the 15th. After that the road is crazy. We did not see a cairned trail so we started up the most obvious route we could find. Sierra Hiking Trails is a collection of past trips taken in the Sierra National Forest over the last eleven years. Prather, CA 93651, Hours: Mon-Fri 8:00 AM-4:30 PM, (559) 855-5355 ex.0, Hearing Impaired Took this trail on May 29 - 31. It IS doable but be prepared. The bridge may have separated from the road. Others were could walk across logs and rocks. It is approximately 3.5 miles in and climbs about 700 feet. If fishing is your game, spend a good chunk of time there. I would love to return but probably wont until the bridge is repaired to allow easier access to the trailhead. Seeing four lakes on one loop is really nice. Did this in the Oct of 2019. Although, I did have a long sleeve and long hiking pants for protection. Grant Grove Then if you have time, you can check out Rock & Island lakes as well!! Just when you think you are lost you will find the trailhead. There is a bridge out on the road leading to the trailhead. “To reach the Morgan Pass plus all seven lakes with side trails was 8.7 miles total with an 850' elevation gain.” See all Mosquito Flat Trailhead reviews Hume Lake Camps. Continue 12.5 miles then turn right on McKinley Grove Road. RECOMMENDED ROUTE Zumwalt Meadows Loop Trail 1.3 mi 2.0 km • 104' Up 31.7 m Up • 123' Down 37.52 m Down. Follow to Rock Creek Road (National Forest Road 9) turn left. There is some large patches of snow in shady areas. We went for a day hike mid week and saw a handful of backpacking groups, but that was it. There is a public horseback riding stable available. Great, easy hike. As indicated, the bridge is out. This is marked as not suitable for stock, but it is really only difficult in a short section—one that was also complicated by a massive treefall. Cliff Lake Trailhead to Helms Meadow Loop [CLOSED], Three Sisters Peak Trail to Cliff Lake, Rock Lake, and Island Lake [CLOSED], Cliff Lake via Dinkey Lakes Trail [CLOSED], Three Sisters Peak Trail to Cliff Lake, Rock Lake, Second Dinkey Lake, South Lake, Swede Lake, Mystery Lake and First Dinkey Lake [CLOSED], Dinkey Lakes and Dusy-Ershim OHV Loop [CLOSED], Dinkey Lakes Loop via Cliff Lake [CLOSED], Upper Dinkey Creek Loop from Cow Creek Quarry [CLOSED], Cliff Lake, Mystery Lake, Black Peak, and Helms Meadow Loop [CLOSED]. Great weather. The Dinkey Lakes Wilderness is a federally designated wilderness area located 45 miles (72 km) northeast of Fresno, in the state of California, USA. So I recommended we go to First Dinkey Lake since it is a pretty short and easy hike. 29688 Auberry Road The snow should be melting soon. Go up Dinkey Creek Road about 10 miles until you get to a road sign that says Dinkey Lakes Trailhead to the left (its also the road for Bald Mountain and a few other trails). Search Wilderness Connect For Practitioners Search Wilderness Connect For Practitioners Spent 3 days 2 nights, ended up staying at Swede lake found an awesome spot around the back off trail. Got a bit of altitude sickness, and I think I will probably get an inhaler for the next hike. We tried to hike the remaining 4+ miles to the trail head. Thanks Sam and Mike. We stayed at Mystery lake at a nice spot on the south side. Highlights: Dinkey Lakes Loop is an easy backpack of 7 to 9 miles (round trip) with walls of glaciated granite, and mountain lakes stocked with trout in a High Sierra setting. You will need a high clearance vehicle to drive all the way to the trailhead. Didn't see anything really wrong with the bridge except the guardrail was broken on one side. Mosquitoes weren't an issue first week of October. Middle of August, 2017. Wilderness permits are required for overnight use but not day-use. Dinkey Lakes Wilderness consists of 16 lakes and numerous streams with Rainbows and Brookies. Second Dinkey Lake and Dogtooth Peak The least attractive of the Dinkey Lakes I have seen, nevertheless, it has a good view of Dogtooth Peak. The rangers left a map for us with the permit that got us there pretty easily. Last hiked in 2014. This time of year is pretty dry but all four lakes have plenty of water. We pulled two of them off to the side but there were more when we walked the road. For a change of pace, try going straight to First Dinkey, then when you come to the junction to take the loop, go straight instead to Second Dinkey Lake. Made this mistake the first time! 1600 Tollhouse Road The lowest it got was just above freezing. Dinkey Creek Recreation Area is a popular area for its campgrounds, picnic areas, cabins, store, fishing, and hiking. Hardly any firewood at South lake campground but it's an excellent spot for group camping. The incline to the first and second Dinkey Lake can be a little challenging at 10,000ft. Road was fine all the way back until after the logging landing. tons of peaks to explore, we camped at island lake and spent a day peaking the 3 sisters and doing some exploration of the dinkey lakes wilderness. Please contact Sierra National Forest to get information on this detour. Went over 4th of July weekend. It was a hot hike, in the low 80’s and zero bugs. There’s a neat creek to explore on the southeast side of South lake which is also the area we had the best luck fishing. Many people have complained about the “ravenous” mosquitoes, but I didn’t see a single one until about 6 pm. Would not recommend for anything without decent ground clearance. If you’re a good fisherman, try for the grand slam: Catch a fish out of all four lakes! Will definitely plan future trips out here. Trail is well marked. See park page for more information: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/7191/ BE AWARE OF THE ROAD CLOSURE! You definitely need a high clearance vehicle. 05-15-00-20-23 Developed Recreation and Trails Closure, Forest Order No. It lies immediately west of the John Muir Wilderness and consists of timbered rolling terrain. We drove a two week drove SUV and had to stop 3.5 miles short of the trailhead due to snow on the road. 4WD with some ground clearance is recommended. Trails were easy to follow and fairly well marked. I took my 7 year old son up for two nights the last weekend in June. North Fork, CA 93643, Hours: Mon-Fri 8:00 AM-4:30 PM, (559) 877-2218 ex.0, High Sierra Ranger District road to trail head does require high clearance vehicle. Hours: Mon-Fri 8:00 AM-4:30 PM, (559) 297-0706. Date: August 1, 2018 Place: Dinkey Lakes Wilderness, Prather, California Coordinates: 37.154401, -119.057428 Length: 4.5 miles Level: strenuous It was already afternoon when I arrived at the First Dinkey Lake and found a suitable campsite, but way to early to call it a day. The trail also leads to another 4 lakes in that area, but our destination was the First Dinkey Lake. lots of mosquitoes. Road in was a bit rough, but no problem with a small truck. Easy hike with big rewards! Great hike, beautiful lakes for swimming and dog splashing, and no bugs! Bugs were bad in pockets, but not at the lakes themselves! The mosquitos were really bad the first day when the high was in the high 70s but with spray and nets we did fine. First Dinkey has the largest grassy wetlands of any of the lakes, but a afternoon breeze let us stop for a quick lunch without many mosquitos. Lots of mosquitoes (common here). Short video review of our hike: Storm clouds had us retreat and we had to wayfind to get back. The trail is open for the following uses: Hiking, Backpacking My stock Tacoma 4x4 handled it well, but all the boulders on the road were jarring. Note the swamp lake road from dinkey creek is closed at the cow creek bridge, about five miles short of the trail head, use the foster ridge road. Some of the most amazing sunsets I’ve ever seen, no bugs. It is located just west of the new portion of the John Muir Wilderness and is separated from the John Muir by the Dusy/Ershim Off-Hiway Vehicle Route. Great trek overall. You cannot depend on other people on the mountain having recovery gear to bail you out. It was tall and the snow was solid ice. It’s deep that’s for sure. The trailhead for Dinkey Lakes is hard to find and difficult to get to, but this delightful hike would be worth a drive that was twice as aggravating. Norris Lake Trail to Jackass Lakes 7.5 mi 12.1 km • 1,741' Up 530.66 m Up • 1,740' Down 530.5 m Down. Head north to Road 9S10 then right. Just did this loop with a spur to Island lake. Definitely want to drive something that has some ground clearance that can handle 6-8” road hazards. The road is a constant incline and wouldn't have been bad if it wasn't for the constant large patches of snow covering the road. Folks do the Dinkey Lakes Willow Mdws trailhead with passenger cars frequently, but this does risk vehicular damage. Dinkey Lakes was an absolutely beautiful trail. Very quiet. Travel 3 miles past Trapper Springs Campground to the trailhead. Caught a bunch of brook trout! No one was there! So after pitching my tent and taking out all excess weight from my backpack I was ready to hike the Dinkey Loop Trail. Wilderness permits are required year-round for all overnight trips in Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks' wilderness. The trail is primarily used for hiking, camping, fishing, and backpacking and is best used from June until November. If you are not absolutely sure your vehicle and your plan B can get you through a snow bank DON'T DRIVE THROUGH IT. road to trail head does require high clearance vehicle. Once you get into the higher elevations the mosquitoes thin out, but there are still enough to bite and annoy. 9 friends. There was one water crossing that we had to wade through. Took the clockwise route and glad I did. The trail is primarily used for hiking, camping, fishing, and backpacking and is best used from June until November. The Dinkey Lakes are located in the Dinkey Wilderness in the Sierra National Forest east of Shaver Lake. The wilderness was established in 1984 of 30,000 acres. Dinkey Creek is also a popular swimming area with large pools and sandy beaches for swimmers. The hike was beautiful and there are tons of mosquitoes, so dress appropriately and bring bug spray. PLEASE NOTE: just because it is 100° in the central valley does NOT mean there is no snow in the mountains. Road to trail head wasn't a problem for my stock 4wheel drive truck but I wouldn't recommend a car. Road conditions get worse the farther you go. Alternatively, hikers can park at the bridge, and walk to the trailhead, adding significant miles to the hike. Conditions are currently beautiful. Spring = snow in the mountains. As of September 2020, trails in this area are closed due to wildfire. You will not regret it, especially this time of year. Long drive to access and glad we had 4x4 in a couple of sections. About 5 miles before the trail, the road is closed at Cow Creek because of a damaged bridge. Come along to the Sierra National Forest and see four lakes in one hike! Dinkey Lakes Trail [CLOSED] is a 10.8 kilometer heavily trafficked loop trail located near Shaver Lake, California that features a lake and is rated as moderate. According to users, there is a driving route that bypasses this bridge, and takes the hiker to the trailhead. I ended up on the brewer lake ohv road which was pretty gnarly. Or at least, the bridge is blocked with boulders. If you are not used to hiking this high up, just remember to drink plenty of water while you're up there so you don't get altitude sickness! RECOMMENDED ROUTE Zumwalt Meadows Loop Trail 1.3 mi 2.0 km • 104' Up 31.7 m Up • 123' Down 37.52 m Down. Enjoy responsibly. If you’re contemplating on hiking Dinkey Lakes; just DO IT! We dug several groups out of the snow who were wildly unprepared with no chains, no shovels, no snow tires, no 4 wheel drive (or they had it and didn't use it for some line of reasoning that forsakes all intelligence). Plenty of shade for the dog throughout the hike. The road from Tamarack is pretty well marked and fairly easy driving. We added 12 miles to the hike! Many of the small creeks in the area were frozen although the temperature in the sun was still warm. Continue14 miles east to Courtright Road, turn left on Road 8S07, west side of the lake. The OHV route turns into a rough, passenger car road and gently winds its remaining two miles to the gate at the west end of the OHV route where it intersects with a main logging road 9S10. Upon obtaining a wilderness permit, the ranger have us directions to the trail head. This route involves taking the Tamarack Ridge turn off of 168. Mammoth…, CA. Do yourself a favor and take the loop counterclockwise for a much less steep climb. The trail is a little hard to keep track of in a couple places, but just look for the “i” carved in the trees and the stacked rocks to keep you on track. Took the tamarack snow park road in. Turn east on Dinkey Creek Road. Dinkey Lakes Wilderness The Dinkey Lakes Wilderness was protected by Congress in 1984 with the passage of the California Wilderness Act. The Forestry service dropped boulders in front of it to block traffic. Some people we talked to said they had the best luck fishing at First Dinkey but the mosquitoes were the worst over there. A wilderness permit is required and can be picked up at the Ranger Station in Prather. Lots of stream crossings with no water in them. Yes the bridge is out. Sierra National Forest Headquarters 1600 Tollhouse Road Clovis, CA 93611. Other than that - roads are opening up slowly in the area. Turn east on Dinkey Creek Road. Explore the offshoot roads and discover wild canyonlands and sierra valleys full of majesty, waterfalls, and utter solitude. Mammoth…, CA. Buried the soles of my shoes as this was their last hike and duct tape was holding them together. Another option from First Dinkey Lake is to continue on to Second Dinkey, Rock, and Island Lakes. Only saw a few other hikers. Mystery Lake and First Dinkey Lake are about 1.5 miles and 3 miles respectively from the trailhead. It really starts to cool off in the early afternoon. Status Update: Tried to get to the lakes this weekend. An SUV or truck should be fine. Sierra National Forest Headquarters From tamarack ridge sno park expect 40 - 50 minutes on dirt roads. No problem with critters, we used the counter balance method for food. great trail highly recommend!! Continuing on to Second Dinkey Lake the trail starts to climb steeper, but not for long. California Relay Service 711, Forest Service Home | USDA.gov | recreation.gov | Recreation Customer Service Standards | USA.gov | Whitehouse.gov, Plug-Ins | FOIA | Accessibility Statement | Privacy Policy | Important Notices | Information Quality, https://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/sierra/recreation/hiking/recarea/?recid=45958&actid=51, Forest Order No. But a great group of adventures pulled me out. bridge closed, Loved this short/easy hike with a great view. Stay out untill bullfrog lake fire is under control! 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