Frazier Falls
Sierra Buttes. It's hard to believe there's a jeep road up this.
All hikes below are accessed from the Gold Lake Highway that starts at Bassetts on California 49. The hikes are in order going north and the turnoffs are signed. Any car can make all roads except Mills Peak. No GPS required.
- SIERRA BUTTES el 8587 have a trail and jeep road to the top. Take the Packer Lake road about a mile and half from Bassetts. Follow signs to Packer Lake. Just before the lake go left on FR 93 and follow signs to Sierra Buttes. The road goes to the ridgetop then go left for nearly half a mile to a left fork. Take the left fork for a quarter mile to the highest 2wd TH at N39 36693, W120 39932 el 7000. The last quarter mile is unpaved. The hike takes 3 hours with 1600 gain. For the jeep road,keep going past the 2wd TH and follow signs. Don't take any unsigned forks. I made it up the jeep road with no problem on a 125.
- HASKELL PEAK el 8100 has a trail to the top. From Bassetts on 49, go north on the Gold Lake Road for 3.7 miles to the sign for the peak at FR 09. Take FR 09 for over 8 miles to the TH at mp 8.5. There are signs at the TH at N39 39051, W120 32374 el 6900. It's 90 minutes round trip and 1200 gain. Good views for such little work. FR 09 is a good road. After the first mile it levels off and would make a good bike ride and the trail is open to bikes, but NOT motorbikes.
- MILLS PEAK has a road to the top. Use the turnoff that says 3 miles. Avoid the one to the south that says 4 miles.
- FRAZIER FALLS has a picnic area and an easy half mile paved trail to the vista. It's 176 feet high.
- ELWELL PEAK el 7800 has a trail to the top. Turn off the Gold Lake Highway about 9 miles from Bassetts and go nearly a mile to the Long Lake TH el 6300. Two trails start here. Take the Silver Lake trail to the right. Go right at each signed fork till you come to a sign for Elwell Peak. Take that trail along the north shore of Long Lake and signs will guide you to the summit at N39 42496, W120 41357. It takes an hour and a half and 1600 gain to get to the summit. Return the same way or make a loop by going back down 3/4 mile to the signs and take the trail to Mud Lake. Keep going left at every signed junction till you get to the sign for Long Lake TH then go right back to the start. 3 hours for the loop and nearly 2000 gain.
