Hike and Play at Lakes Basin Recreation Area

With gas prices through the roof, I've gotten out of the mindset that you have to drive a long way to have fun and been seriously scrutinizing places to go that are closer to Reno. One of these is Lakes Basin Recreation Area in Plumas National Forest. It's about 70 miles from my front door and quite doable as a day trip, though accommodations from primitive camping to fancy lodges are available throughout the area for those wishing to linger.

Lakes Basin is managed for multiple uses, including hiking, boating, swimming, camping, and fishing and hunting. Being hikers, my group and I did the Lakes Basin loop, which starts and ends at the Round Lake trailhead near Gold Lake Lodge. From here, you can do the whole loop of about 9.5 miles, which is fairly strenuous, with an elevation gain and loss of almost 1500 feet. Your reward is expansive views of the surrounding mountains, including the sawtoothed Sierra Buttes, and a look at the extent of Lakes Basin itself. You can see five or six blue gems at the same time from some places along this hike. Those with less time or ambition can hike out either branch of the loop and reach several lakes before the serious climbing begins. Either way, you will walk through lush meadows of wildflowers and enjoy the sweet fragrance of pine and sagebrush. Be sure to take plenty of drinking water, sunscreen, and bug repellent. The flowers grow where it is damp and so do the mosquitos.

The Plumas National Forest Lakes Basin Recreation Area website is a good resource for information about the area. If you are a hiker, check out the book Hiking Northern California by Ron Adkison. To get there from Reno, go north on 395 to Hallelujah Junction (intersection with highway 70) and head toward Portola. Continue through Portola and turn left on highway 89 toward Graeagle. Just past Graeagle, look for the sign to Lakes Basin Recreation area, which is a right turn onto the Gold Lake Highway. In about 7.5 miles, look for a Gold Lake Lodge sign and turn right into the trailhead parking area.

If you have other good ideas for fun places to visit close to Reno, please post a comment and let everyone know.