Mokelumne Wilderness

We backpacked to 4^th of July lake on the first weekend in June. The half of the trails was still covered with snow. It made the trek harder but more beautiful at the same time. Because it needs more effort to go to 4^th of July lake, there was no group other than us. Camping there was so quiet and peaceful. This is a really great place.
Also, this a dog-​friendly place.

I recently took my family to Frog Lake, a 2 mile round trip hike just inside Mokelumne Wilderness. The trail had wildflowers, mountain vistas, an alpine lake, a valley overlook! Oh my! :) As an added bonus we encountered a snow field large enough to sled which members of my group tried. However for late July I think this is a rare find.
There was one very small stream cross that required a hop. And in this area there quite a few mosquitoes. The trail isn’t entirely flat as there are a few areas that require stepping up/​down. Otherwise the trail is relatively easy. We hit the trail around 9:30 AM and returned around noon when it was getting warm.
We saw many leashed dogs on the trail which was cool.
The trail head is on the south side of highway 88 at Carson Pass. There is a parking lot there with a small visitor center and pit toilets. The day fee is $ 5/​vehicle. Here is link to the Google map (I used a URL shortener since it was hideously long):
Happy hiking & don’t forget your camera!

this is a JEWEL of the south lake tahoe region. Amazing at all seasons really. I’ve been snowshoeing several times in the winter– stunning, and backpacking and dayhiking on the other seasons and it never dissapoints. trails are varied in both difficulty and scenery… A must-​do place for all whom enjoy the great outdoors and want a more «open”/vista type of hike vs the tree-​intense hiking of desolation wilderness. Wonderful pristine alpine lakes all around this area as well so water is never far away for those seeking longer/​overnight trails.

We went to the Mokelumne Wilderness to hike on Sun 9÷13÷09. Our hike was suppose to be a loop hike from the parking lot to Lake Winnemucca-​Round Top.
Pit toilet available in parking lot. Camp sites nearby.
I didn’t have my camera this trip which sucks so I can’t give a good writeup, but we went to Woods Lake easy like 0.1 mi ea way after .5 mi, then onwards to lake Winnemucca another 2 mi away. It was really windy & many of us wanted to leave so we didn’t continue onwards & upwards to Round Top which is like 10,000 ft up.
Good views throughout the hike. On the way back doing the loop saw some abandon mines & abandon cars. Still lots of cool views & some flowers still.
We might go back to do Fourth of July Lake & the top of Round Top!
Note to self: Must bring Camera & Wallet on All Trips!

Over 105 thousand acres of undisturbed breathtaking wilderness
At our feet and open to the strong-​willed who are up to exploring this beautiful gem within the Eldorado National Forest. The Mokelumne Wilderness straddles several mountain ranges as well as several lakes and is home to several popular trails, of which the Winnemucca-​Round Top Loop we took today.
The best way to get here is take Hwy 50 to Pollock Pines. Make a right at the Sly Park exit, following that road until you hit Old Mormon Emigrant Trail Road. Make a left then continue until you hit Hwy 88. Make a left at that junction and then drive past Silver and Caples Lakes to the exit (side street) to Woods Lake. Just an fyi, that we drove back and forth for a bit because the sign of Woods Lake had fallen off the stiles. You will have to keep an eye out for two posts attempting to hold up nothing ;) but it will be a paved road and follow that down to the trailhead parking lot.
Since our last hike took only two hours (Shealor Lake Trail), our stout guide (sis’ bf) decided to line up another hike for us called the Winnemucca-​Round Top Lakes loop which was approximately 5 miles in length and give or take 1200 ft vertical incline. The difficulty rating for this hike is listed as a 4 out of 5 rating.
The first part of the trail up to Winnemucca is easy with a gradual incline spotted with rocky terrain, volcanic ridges and alpine vistas. A pretty little creek burbles nearby and you can hear the breeze talking through the grove of trees located in the «Y» of this valley. The 1.5 mile trek to Winnemucca is worth it, however, as the pristine beauty of this isolated lake is reflected in it’s cool clear blue waters backed by Round Top, which was covered in snow. This is where we made our first little break and I broke out my trailmix (self-​made) of sun chips, baked cheetos and m&m’s thrown in for sweet posterity.
The second trail to Round Top Lake involves a gradual uphill hike through rocky terrain to the saddle with breathtaking views of the The Sisters, also shrouded in snow, and then drops you over the ridge to Round Top Lake, listed at around 9400 ft. Here is when the sun decided to hide and all of a sudden, the temperature dropped almost ten degrees. It was beautiful, however, and afforded us many a picture moment. Due to higher elevation, those with the faint of heart and breathe, I’d definitely recommend taking little stops along the way to adjust to the elevation as well as get that heartbeat back down from the eardrums :) This area is littered with gopher (I think?) holes and when I set out to investigate an area off the trail, my foot sank through the earth. So many of these holes have created an unstable area. The creek up here was so left to it’s own privacy, that when I walked across, a large reddish trout jumped out in shock and continued to slap away at the surface frantically looking for a place to hide.
The trek back to Woods Lake Trailhead was slightly longer (1.9 miles) and mostly downhill, zig-​zag pattern, again rocky terrain. On the way, you will pass by the remains of Lost Cabin Mine as well as other mementos of the Gold Rush history. Once you reach the forest, the walk becomes prettier and crested Jays chattered at us as we continued the hike down.
According to research, the best times for hiking this area is probably in late spring into late summer in order to catch the verdant colors of plant life. In October, much of it has already given way to the impending season of winter and lay silent and yellow to the downtrodden. This did not, however, detract from the beauty that surrounded us all day with their majestic pines, mountains scaling 10,000ft + in height, and serene lakes nodding silently back at us as we walked away from a new little secret.
There are facilities located on the parking lot as well as the campgrounds and picnic area. The people/​groups we passed were all friendly and we gave salutations and words of encouragement along the way, in addition to the occasional four legged pooch that passed us on the trails.
A great hike for starters, just make sure you tote some water and a little snack for encouragement.