Visited on 8/19/2018, Jeff and I loaded up the truck camper and the boat and headed up to Lake Davis along with our water-loving chocolate Labradors, Summer and Skye for a weekend of camping and boating for the weekend. On our way home we stopped by the Lakes Basin Recreational Area and Gold Lake on Sunday afternoon. Gold Lake is a 490 acre glacial lake located in the Lakes Basin Recreation Area at an elevation of 6,407 feet above sea level. There are over 20 small glacial formed subalpine lakes in this area of the Sierra Mountains. We definitely would like to hike and explore this region more. Many hiking trails let you discover another lake around the bend in the trail. Sweeping views and spectacular vistas are open to you from the ridges and mountain tops. One of the many trails is the Pacific Crest Trail running along the edge of the area which you can access easily from Round Lake or Helgramite Lake. This area is very pristine area with lots of beautiful lakes and meadows. The Lakes Basin Recreation Area is filled with trails to hike and lakes to sit by. You can visit the area for a week and find a new place to explore each day. The trails are not difficult and the mileage between the lakes is very small, so in a day's walk you can visit several lakes. One of the most frequented trails is the Bear Lakes Loop which passes by four lakes in about two miles. Even the youngest member of your hiking party can enjoy this hike. The most strenuous hike in the area entails hiking 1,500 feet to the top of Mt. Elwell, three miles from the campground to the summit. The view from the peak overlooks the lakes and, in the distance, you can see the Sierra Buttes. Visit the Lakes Basin and you will return year after year, never getting tired of the beauty of this gem in the Sierra. A network of over 30 miles of maintained trails branch out across several trailheads. The trails offer a variety of difficulty levels from the leisurely stroll to an adventurous challenge. The trail network encompasses many of the serene lakes, as well as wildflower meadows. A stretch of the Pacific Crest Trail can be easily reached from the trail system. Equestrians and mountain bikers may enjoy miles of riding on many of the trails. The many small lakes in the Lakes Basin Recreation Area of California's Gold Country never fail to please. The 20+ named lakes draw outdoor adventurers on a regular basis, often as repeat visitors. The Lakes Basin Recreation Area occupies a spot within the million-acre Plumas National Forest about an hour and a half north of Lake Tahoe. Plumas National Forest is bordered by Lassen Volcanic National Park and Lassen National Forest on the north and El Dorado National Forest on the south, so the area offers millions of acres of public lands protected within the northern Sierra Nevada Mountains.
The Lakes Basin
Recreation Area provides a variety of outdoor activities. Trout fishing is
available in nearly all of the lakes, although only Gold Lake is currently
stocked. Gold Lake also has a boat dock and launch, and motorized boating is
allowed. Most other lakes appear to be no-motors lakes and require boats that
can be carried in. Float tubes are likely the best option. Four of the six
campgrounds in the Lakes Basin Recreation Area have fishing and swimming available.
One of the campgrounds is designated for 4 X 4 camping, and plenty of riding
trails will keep the family riders happy. The only campground with drinking
water available is Lakes Basin Campground. Most offer vault toilets and few
other amenities. The area is available year-round for bicycling, horseback
riding, snowmobiling, snow-shoeing and cross-country-skiing. Nearby Sierra
Buttes is a popular, scenic cross-country skiing area.
Over 30 miles of
hiking trails are available within the Lakes Basin Recreation Area. In
addition, the Pacific Crest Trail can be reached from some of the trails, so
hiking opportunities are almost endless. The mountainous terrain allows for
easy and strenuous hikes from some of the trailheads. The terrain includes dry
rocky ledges and wetland meadows that are covered with wildflowers in the
spring and much of the summer. Self-guided wildflower hiking tours can be
accomplished without much difficulty. Local botanists recommend the Grassy Lake
Trail, starting at the Lakes Basin Campground parking lot as a good
slow-walking tour through wildflower meadows in June and July.
Two spectacular
waterfalls can be viewed from other trails, including Halsey Falls and Frazier
Falls. The trail to Halsey Falls is a bit hard to find, so visitors may want to
head to the Grey Eagle Lodge and ask for directions. One of the tallest
waterfalls in California, Frazier Falls drops 176 feet with the best water flow
in the spring. Located on Frazier Creek five miles downstream from Gold Lake,
the signed trailhead is off Gold Lake Road. Several former fire tower sites are
accessible via trails and offer spectacular views of the area.
Lest visitors think
they will have to 'rough it' on any visit to Lakes Basin Recreation Area, they
will be pleasantly surprised to find the surrounding area well supplied with
all sorts of lodges and resort facilities. A few are within the recreation area
itself, including one at Gold Lake. Several of these lodges have been in
existence since early in the 20th century, when interest in enjoying remote
natural areas became popular. The area itself was first explored in conjunction
with the Gold Rush expeditions which actively prospected the basin, often based
on rumors and speculative stories. Several collections of gold mining stories
have been complied, and most include the tale of the lost miner who swore he
had found a lake lined with gold nuggets available for the taking. If Gold Lake
was the subject of the expeditions, the prospectors didn't find what they were
looking for but left some very colorful tales and folk stories behind for
posterity. All sorts of remnants of that early exploration remain in the area
and can be viewed at several local museums. 
We took a day trip and visited one of the better-known locations for gold rush artifacts is at Plumas Eureka State Park, less than 20 miles from the Lakes Basin Recreation Area. The historic site preserves a blacksmith shop, stamping mills, a stable and a miner's home named Moriarty House. A museum and visitors center put the exhibits in context and provide information on the area's history. The Plumas County Museum in Quincy is about 30 miles from the recreation area and holds a great collection of logging, mining, agriculture and railroad history, pioneer weaponry, a collection of Maidu Indian baskets and examples of miners' cabins and tools. The Coburn-Variel Home, a three-story Victorian next door, is furnished from the museum's collections. Twenty miles from Lakes Basin Recreation Area, the town of Portola holds the Portola Railroad Museum. The Feather River Rail Society exhibits photographs, rail equipment and artifacts from the days of rail travel. Train rides are offered in summer.
