During this COVID-19 shutdown, you might feel like there is no place to get outdoors to enjoy all the sunshine and warmth. With CA National Parks, BLM Land and other open spaces closed, it can be hard to know where you can go to escape safely, even in self isolation. However, many Sierra Nevada Forest's best sights are waiting for you to discover and enjoy them.
California’s Sierra Nevada mountains are fundamental to who we are. We rely on its snowpack every year. Without the foothills pocketed with gold veins, few would have crossed the continent to get here, but for generations, it’s been California’s (Fresno's) backyard mountain range and playground. For every famous Yosemite site, the Sierra holds hundreds of equally lovely but barely known alpine valleys, mountain lakes and equally impressive granite domes.
Here are some of the Sierra’s great wonders that are open today and waiting to be explored. I do not give the specific information on how to get there, but you can look it up easily on google or contact me at healthyepiclving@gmail.com and I'll send you some info.
If you decide to visit these wonderful places, please be respectful to the land and to other visitors. Keep your distance and keep it clean.
1. Courtright Reservoir
According to the Sierra National Forest Website, Courtright Reservoir will be open on May 21st. Courtright is located in one of the most superb geological areas of California. Bare granite domes rise from the shores of Courthright Reservoir and above the deep canyon cut by Helms Creek located at the north end of the lake. Ice Age glaciers sculpted the mountain peaks, slopes and valleys giving them their unique present day shape. To the east Mt. Goddard rises majestically to 13,568 feet in elevation.
If the campgrounds are filled, there are a few spots to pull over along the road to camp. Be careful in choosing these spots as some are illegal and you could receive a fine (look for the signs). Also since this area features many lakes and waterways there are plenty of mosquitos to deal with. Bring either your bug repellent or a bug net. You can get one here.----->. Click here to get rid of bugs.
If your into sport and slab Rock Climbing, it has some superb domes all over. Here is what Mountain Project has to say about Courtright.
Hidden well within the boundaries of the Sierra National Forest is Courtright Reservoir, the "lost sister" to the ever captivating Tuolumne Meadows. Located 2 hours east of Fresno, Courtright boasts of the same qualities as that of the terrain found in the high country of Tuolumne. Pristine, high quality granite domes torture the climbers imagination and entices any adventurer to scout the infinite possibilities. The signature landmark upon entering the Courtright area is the alluring formation, Power Dome. Teeming with a host of 5-pitch, friction scare-a-thons, Power Dome will make a marked impression in the minds and hearts of inspiring rock jocks. Scattered around the perimeter of the reservoir are a myriad of other domes and walls. Trapper, Spring, Maxon, Penstemon and Dusy are just a few domes that provide countless adventures, where traditional and sport climbs abound. Although the domes provide ample friction, smear and fine edge climbing routes, Courtright also offers several crack climbs at areas like Tiger Wall and Tiger Cage
2. Bass Lake On May 17th, according to ABC Channel 30, the lake and day use areas are now open, and so are the burger joints (Millers and The Forks). However overnight camping is still closed. This nearly 5-mile/8-km-long lake is popular destination for water skiing, wakeboarding, and wave runners, it also has sheltered coves for swimming and for sailing, as well as kayaking and pedal boating (boat and gear rentals are available). I get a lot of requests to recommend kayaks so I'll just get it out of the way and add it here---->. Click here for Kayak ideas. For an inexpensive kayak, I like this IK because it seems like you can use it on Class II Rivers as well as lakes, and it looks like the one Gary and I first used when we started. Bring or rent fishing gear or hire a local guide to snag bass, rainbow trout, Kokanee salmon, and more (California fishing license required for ages 16 and above). Dozens of trails lead into the surrounding Sierra National Forest, so there’s plenty of exploring by foot or mountain bike. Get a workout with a view on the challenging 5-mile/8-km up-and-back hike to Goat Mountain Fire Lookout. 3. Central Camp and Shut Eye Peak Central Camp Road is a 19.4 mile moderately trafficked point-to-point trail located near Oakhurst, California. The road to get there is graded, but is primarily used for mountain biking and off road driving and is best used from April until December. All the campgrounds that I saw were closed, but Central Camp and Shut Eye Peak both have a lot of dispersed camping. Basically you just pull over to the side of the road and camp. For camping needs click here ---->. Get Camping ideas On Shut Eye there is no water or any facilities and you need 4 wheel drive to get to the top. What you have basically is what you bring. If you do not have 4 wheel drive, don't go any further than Gaggs Campground. Gaggs campground which is I believe 2 miles from Shut Eye does have vault toilets, but there is no sign that the campground is open. Please pack out all that you bring as there are no trash facilities. Shut Eye Peak has some of the best climbing in the Sierra Nevadas according to some local climbers. There are trad and sport climbs as well as both top rope and multi pitch. Get your guidebook here... CLICK HERE
4. Upper Kings River Originating high in the mountains of central California near Kings Canyon/Sequoia National Park, the Kings River is one of the most scenic rivers in the West. With no upstream dams to spoil its natural beauty, the Kings river offers an excellent whitewater rafting trip experience, for parties that own their own equipment. There are also plenty of hiking and fishing opportunities along the river. Check out appropriate Rafting Supplies Here ----> Rafting Supplies Kings River offers plenty of spots to camp, however most of them are not easy to get to. Kirch Flat Campground is closed, but the vault toilets are open. You can meander down to the river, but you can not use the campground overnight. However, there are plenty of opportunities above Kirch Flats to pull over along the river and camp. There are only two additional vault toilets (located at Gravel Flats and Bear Wallow). To get to these bathrooms you need to have a vehicle that has plenty of of clearance as you will be traveling on an unpaved and uneven road. There are no services in this area, please pack out what you bring with you. There is no cel phone coverage.
5. Fresno Dome
For a moderately challenging hike/climb and a wonderful place to picnic, watch the sunrise or set, and star gaze hike to the top of Fresno Dome. Pack some food & water, a jacket, and flashlight, and you can linger long enough to catch the sun melting away into the hazy Western horizon. On your way up take time to look around the mossy forest, as there are so many varieties of mushrooms throughout the spring and summer.
The best access to this hike is from the nearby Fresno Dome Campground, although convenient access can be found from Grey's Mountain Campground as well as, Nelder Grove Campground. We were up there about two weeks ago and needed to hike the last mile because of snow. However it is melting pretty quickly so I doubt by now there will be much.
For more information on adventures and the outdoors, visit www.healthyepicliving.com
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