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Scenic Hot Spots
of the Northern Yosemite Region |
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Scenic Places to Discover and Enjoy!
This page has been created to provide information about beautiful places for people seeking scenic hotspots to spend the day out in nature in our spectacular mountains. We plan on adding to this page regularly, so check back in often.
A word of caution to anyone considering visiting these locations: The places we highlight may be off the beaten path, so please prepare with the appropriate gear, water, maps, etc. before heading out in order to have a safe, fun time. We also recommend that anyone driving in the Stanislaus Forest buy a copy of the Stanislaus Forest Road Map from any Ranger District office. The map costs about $11, but it is a worthy investment for finding your way on forest roads and planning any trip.
We have created a site specific Google Map to go along with the locations we have suggested, so if you want to know where these destinations are, just click on the map to find out the details.
Scenic Destinations to visit in our region
(Check back soon! We'll be adding more over time)
View CSERC Central Sierra Nevada recreation hotspots in a larger map
Trouble Viewing the map? Click Here
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Tuolumne River Hikes
Wondering where to hike during the late spring, when high country snow is not yet melted and the wildflowers in the lower elevations are starting to wither? Check out these great mid elevation destinations in the Tuolumne River watershed. These “gems” are seldom visited and offer great hiking, views, wildflowers and waterfalls.
 Preston Falls
The Preston falls trailhead begins at an elevation of about 2400 feet and is accessed from the Kirkwood Powerhouse off of the Cherry Creek Road, Forest Service Road 1N07. The trail is located in the Stanislaus National Forest and follows the main fork of the Wild and Scenic Tuolumne River for a moderate hike of 8.8 miles roundtrip with an elevation gain of 300 feet. There are many opportunities for swimming in the deep pools where the river is constricted between granitic blocks into a narrow gorge, but beware, the water is very cold since it comes from dam releases off of Hetch Hetchy reservoir, about 12 miles upstream. Wildflowers blanket the meadows as the trail meanders along the river through conifers and oaks. The final destination is Preston Falls, a lovely cascade emptying into an inviting large pool.
Carlon Falls 
The Carlon Falls trailhead is accessed about a mile down Evergreen Road, off of Highway 120 before the Big Oak Flat entrance gate to Yosemite National Park. While the trail begins in the Stanislaus National Forest, it soon enters the western boundary of the Park, following the South Fork of the Tuolumne River. This easy-to moderate hike begins at an elevation of 4,320 feet, is 3 miles roundtrip with a 200 foot elevation gain. The trail is covered in shade most of the way and meanders through mixed coniferous forest and riparian woodlands. Once you reach Carlon Falls you’ll want to take plenty of time to relax, swim, and enjoy the views of the 45 foot high waterfall. For those that would like to explore further, a short trail continues above the falls where there are more opportunities to wade and swim in smaller, but equally beautiful pools and polished boulders along the river. Remember, because this trail is located in the National Park, you’ll need to leave your dogs at home.
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Table Mountain
 
This approximately 2.5 mile loop trail is an excellent early spring wildflower day hike that is easy to access and provides an amazing vista if you make the steep climb to the top of Table Mountain. The trip is highly recommended, but beware the poison oak- also prepare for very hot weather if you go in the summertime.
You can park at the first gate and access the trail for a nice wander through oak woodlands. In dry weather (and with a high clearance vehicle), you can drive through two more gates and park by the vaulted toilets, and meet up with the trail here for a much shorter hike. You can also access New Melones Reservoir easily from this second parking area, so consider bringing your fishing pole!
To view a trail map of the Table Mountain trail, click here.
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Natural Bridges
Between Columbia and Murphys off of Parrots Ferry Road, this year-round easy-access trail leads down to a very special picnic site/swimming hole. The 1.5 mile trail takes you down to Coyote Creek, where some amazing swim holes allow you to swim through limestone caverns under natural land bridges! There is poison oak along the trail side, so know what it looks like and avoid it at all times.
Please remember that unique geologic structures such as this take thousands of years to form, and be especially respectful of the landscape when visiting. The parking area is on the right driving from Murphys, and on the left driving from Columbia, and is well marked with a sign.
To view a trail map of the Natural Bridges trail, click here.
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Red Hills Area of Critical Environmental Concern
This special area lies well below the snow line off of Highway 49 right outside of Chinese Camp. Known for the diverse range of unique species of plants and animals found here due to the serpentine mineral content in the soil, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has over 17 miles of hiking/biking trails available for the public to enjoy. Consider visiting in the springtime, too, as the wildflower season in the Red Hills is impressive.
To access a .pdf trail map of the Red Hills from the BLM, click here.
To learn more about the Red Hills, click here.
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 Big Trees State Park
Accessible even in the winter time, this grove of giant sequoias off of Hwy 4 just above Arnold is great for a beautiful location to go snowshoeing or cross country skiing (and hiking in the summer). For information on what areas are open in the winter, visit Calaveras Big Trees website.
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South Fork of the Stanislaus River
  This is a relatively easy-to-access spot in the winter time (depending on the last time it snowed) coming from Middle Camp Road off of Highway 108. We like this location because of the short drive time required to get to it, the good fishing found here (summer season), and the off-trail rock scrambling that gives a sense of adventure to anyone who wants to wander up and down the river's banks. In the summer be sure to enjoy the bountiful swimming and fishing opportunities. Easy parking on the left immediately after the bridge.
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 Bell Meadow
This large meadow is abundant with wildflowers in the early summer, and it can still have colorful displays into August. Bell Meadow also has one of the most beautiful aspen groves in the Stanislaus National Forest, which is especially spectacular in mid-autumn as the leaves change to yellow and gold. Not only is this meadow a beautiful place to enjoy just for itself, it also serves as one of the easiest access portals into the Emigrant Wilderness. Extending out from the trailhead are miles of trail for you to enjoy. You can obtain a map of the Emigrant Wilderness before you visit (available from Mi Wok, Summit, or Groveland Ranger District offices) if you want to plan a day hike to one of the many alpine lakes that lie within the Wilderness.
Driving to the Bell Meadow trailhead takes about 40 minutes from Twain Harte, and the last half-mile of road gets a little rough but the road is drivable for most sedans and vans as long as you take it slow on the rough section.
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 Sword Lake/Lost Lake
We selected these two spectacular lakes for those who enjoy a good day hike, with a destination that has some of the best alpine lake swimming in the region. These neighboring lakes lie within the Carson Iceberg Wilderness. The trailhead is accessed off of a winding Forest Service dirt road that spurs off the Clark Fork paved route from Highway 108. The hike can be somewhat "busy" on a peak summer recreation weekend. You could run into as many as 15-20 people, but compare that to the hundreds you'd see any day of the week in Yosemite! The hiking terrain is moderate. Expect to climb a few hills, but the trail is well maintained, and it should only take about 1.5 to 2 hours at most each way. Once you arrive at the lakes, you'll know the trip was worth the effort. The lakes are fairly long and deep, and you really get that backcountry feeling when you are there.
Drive time to the trailhead takes 70 - 80 minutes from Twain Harte. The last 20 minutes of driving on the dirt road will be pretty bumpy, but the road is wide open and navigable in any car.
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 Highland Lakes
For those who want to access the outdoors from the Highway 4 corridor, we think that if you haven't been to Highland Lakes yet, it is time to visit. These high-elevation lakes can be easily accessed by any vehicle (even an RV). They have excellent rustic campgrounds, wildflowers blooming as late as September, good fishing (brook and rainbow trout), and miles of wilderness trails for day hiking or more. The lakes and the land surrounding them are gorgeous for photography, picnics, or hillside scrambles. We highly recommend this area as a great spot to spend your day or weekend, or as a starting point into an adventure in the Carson Iceberg Wilderness.
Drive time is just about 2 hours from Sonora, and 1.5 hours from Murphys.
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CSERC | PO Box 396 | Twain Harte, CA 95383 | (209) 586-7440 | info@cserc.org
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