The distance to the lakes is approximately 2.2 miles, and the elevation gain is approximately 2,200 feet. The blooming wild sunflowers that decorated Lubken Canyon Road made me think it was April, rather than late September. Cottonwood Lakes Loop starts from Horseshoe Meadow and travels from the Golden Trout Wilderness into John Muir Wilderness. Lower Golden Trout Lake is a water feature in Fresno County and has an elevation of 10,791 feet. The Golden Trout Creek volcanic field consists of a group of Quaternary basaltic cinder cones and lava flows in the Toowa valley of the Sierra Nevada about 25 km (15.5 mi) south of Mount Whitney, California. This trail is steep, rugged and difficult to follow. The lakes, meanwhile, have been stocked with walleye, pike, muskie, largemouth bass, crappie, bluegill and other native species. Badges, Bears, and Eagles—The True-Life Adventures of a California Fish and Game Warden. That has not been my experience or what I understood about the Golden Trout. We hadn’t driven a mile when Kathy and I began oohing and aahing at vast meadows of green grass, willows, and cottonwoods, adorned with massive rock outcroppings. First stocked in 1938, the golden trout at Sylvan Lake are well known in Montana for their genetic purity. The Eastern Sierra economy must increasingly rely on other activities to help fill motels and sustain local businesses throughout the year: skiing and snow sports, hunting, hiking, mountain climbing, backpacking, cycling, and nature photography. of Game and Fish, every few years, have Golden Trout eggs that are excess to their needs. This piece originally appeared in my October 26, 2018, “On Patrol” column in My Outdoor Buddy and Nor Cal Fish Reports. Cottonwood Lakes Loop starts from Horseshoe Meadow and travels from the Golden Trout Wilderness into John Muir Wilderness. The Cottonwood Lakes and Golden Trout Wilderness in the Eastern Sierras are one of those places that helped to grow my love for adventure travel in California. Fearing that the unsuspecting reptile would be flattened by a passing car, I nudged it toward some high grass at the side of the road. The Mono County Tourism fall-color report is updated every Wednesday. It is 303,511 acres (1,228.3 km 2) in size and was created by the US Congress in 1978 as part of the National Wilderness Preservation System. Saving this moisture-dependent species for future generations to enjoy may depend on our making dramatic cuts to greenhouse-gas emissions. Tom's Place is 30 miles north of Bishop, 9 miles south of the Mammoth Lakes turnoff, or 34 miles south of Lee Vining. Whatever the season, the Eastern Sierra always offers an eyepopping display of color and natural beauty. At a Glance. I’d like to think it’s worth it. The dirt road follows Portal Creek. Could they be goldens? Common Destinations: Golden Trout Lakes. The first time I experienced the awesome grandeur of California’s Eastern Sierra was in 1975, when, as a rookie Fish and Game warden, I drove there on assignment to work the Crowley Lake trout-season opener. I captured this close-up view of quaking aspens from Virginia Lakes Road, west of Conway Summit. The trip begins on a mostly sandy trail leading you North into the Golden trout Wilderness. Shutterbugs have been photographing the Eastern Sierra since Brownie cameras were popular, but the so-called leaf peepers have taken this activity to the next level. Enter your email below to be notified when we get access. The Golden Trout Wilderness is a federally designated wilderness area in the Sierra Nevada, in Tulare County and Inyo County, California.It is located 40 miles (64 km) east of Porterville, California within Inyo National Forest and Sequoia National Forest.. Leave Hwy 395 on McGee Creek Road about 6.5 miles north of Tom's Place (Rock Creek). Once you get to the beginning of the trail, the hike is a nice little workout until you reach the final location of Golden Trout Lakes. Golden trout eggs from California were first brought to Cook Lake (Sublette County) in 1920 by U.S. Forest Service personnel. About 8 miles from the trailhead over Cottonwood Pass. Directions: The trailhead to Hilton lakes can be accessed from two locations. Since Kathy and I had gotten a late start, our plan was to hike the trail to the first lake we encountered, take a few photographs, and return to the trailhead before dark. Turn southeast (left) at Crowley Lake Drive at a 4-way stop sign. Isn’t it worth it? Originally the golden trout was described as a subspecies of the salmon species, with a name Salmo mykiss agua-bonita, and it is still often considered a subspecies (now called Oncorhynchus mykiss aguabonita) along with several other rainbow trout subspecies commonly known as redband trout. I spent a couple of hours catching trout-after-trout at this unnamed lake, which I’m calling 10594 by the elevation I mapped it at. Golden Trout Lake Loop is a 5.4 mile lightly trafficked loop trail located near Independence, California that features a lake and is rated as moderate. https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/montana/golden-trout-lakes The parking lot at Horseshoe Meadow was full, and a dozen excited backpackers, many of them speaking foreign languages, were readying their gear for the ascent into the Golden Trout Wilderness. Rough roads to the Golden Trout Lakes It was difficult driving up the road to get to the beginning of the trail, so I recommend a vehicle that can handle the rough road; preferably a truck or AWD. Along the way, we stopped to rest on the banks of a gorgeous little stream called South Fork Cottonwood Creek. When that happens, they make them available to other western states including Idaho. Could these be some of the legendary golden trout that the wilderness area was named for? Lubken Canyon Road turned out to be everything the motel clerk said it would be. The stocking of eggs continued through 1925 with additional stockings in 1929 and 1932. We stock Golden Trout in select high mountain lakes as the fish become available. Unlike Lower Lake where the Cutthroat were rising constantly, I only saw one of these Goldens every 20-30 minutes. To get to Golden Trout Lakes, head north out of Big Sky on highway 191 for 5.1 miles. 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