Blauert on Outdoors: Lake Alpine great way to beat the heat
I had several opportunities this year to take my students to explore the outdoors.
I always enjoy being in scenic places, but it’s even better when you’re with people who are enjoying it for the first time or in a new way.
Our last destination of the school year, Lake Alpine, was a favorite with the students, and it’s also a great place to escape the heat.
Situated in the Sierra Nevada at an elevation of 7,350 feet, Lake Alpine offers comfortable days, cool nights, beautiful lakeside campgrounds, good hiking and fairly reliable fishing. It’s a family-friendly destination for people of all ages.
The campgrounds offer flush restrooms and potable water. Restaurants, gas and supplies can be found within 5 miles of the lake.
The 180-acre lake is great for kayaking, canoeing and motorized boats. A 10-mph speed limit keeps the water calm. You can cool off by swimming. The lake is stocked with trout, and one student in our group landed three 14- to 16-inch rainbows in less than an hour.
The lake is a man-made reservoir, but it blends into the surrounding scenery and it’s hard to believe it isn’t a natural lake if you aren’t looking at the dam.
Several small granite islands and peninsulas add to the beauty.
Despite the drought, the lake will remain full of water through the summer because it’s part of a system of hydroelectric power generation on the Stanislaus River.
Lake Alpine is located on Highway 4, east of the Gold Rush towns of Angels Camp and Murphys.
Closer to the lake, the town of Arnold offers a wide range of cabin rentals and other lodging options. You can also find dining, cabin rentals and a small store, plus motorboat, kayak and canoe rentals at the lakeshore (lakealpineresort.com or (209) 753-6350).
Three miles west of the lake, the small community of Bear Valley has lodging, dining, supplies and gas (bearvalley.com/summer or (209) 753-2301).
Lodgepole pines and red firs surround Lake Alpine. The landscape is a mix of granitic and volcanic mountains. An easy trail circles much of the lake, providing great views and easy access to the shore.
For more of a challenge and some of the best views in the Sierra, the 4-mile round-trip trail to Inspiration Point climbs to a long volcanic ridge south of the lake. The views are so good we initially thought we had reached our destination until realizing the trail kept climbing to a higher summit. We kept going and found the views were even better.
From the top, you can look southward to the Dardanelles, the Three Chimneys and three man-made lakes: Union, Utica and Spicer. You can also look down on the much smaller, natural Duck Lake, within easy hiking distance of the campgrounds.
The hike has some steep climbs, but the distance is relatively short, so I’d class this hike as moderate.
The lakeside campgrounds are named Lake Alpine and Pine Martin. Silver Valley is a short walk from the lake, and Silvertip is less than 2 miles away. The lake is a popular destination, and reservations are recommended (www.recreation.gov or (877) 444-6777). Additional family sites and two group sites that can accommodate up to 50 people are located 2 miles below the lake at the Lodgepole “Overflow Campground.”
Although the lakeside campgrounds are the most desirable sites, our group site at Lodgepole was perfect for our group of students and teachers. It wasn’t much work to drive up to the lake and the Inspiration Point Trailhead.
Lake Alpine is within easy driving distance of Calaveras Big Trees State Park – a great place to marvel at giant, ancient sequoias. You can also follow Highway 4 higher into the Sierra, where it crosses the crest at Ebbetts Pass, one of the oldest routes over the mountains. The highway has been designated the Ebbetts Pass National Scenic Byway in recognition of its beauty and historical importance. You can learn more about it at scenic4.org.
Lake Alpine is usually open from the time the snow melts to the fall, when the snow returns and the road closes just below the lake. During the winter, several SnoParks offer places to play and trailheads for snowmobiles, snowshoeing and Nordic skiing.
This story was originally published June 16, 2015 at 6:12 PM with the headline "Blauert on Outdoors: Lake Alpine great way to beat the heat."