Tour of the Lakes on Gold Lake Highway

Lakes Basin Recreation Area is an unbelievable destination in the northern Sierra Nevada mountains with an incredible landscape of jagged, dramatic peaks and numerous glacially carved lakes. Gold Lake Highway is a scenic route that connects Bassets Station to Graeagle and provides access to endless outdoor recreation in this gorgeous area. This gem of an area in northern California is shared by Plumas National Forest and Tahoe National Forest. It’s perfect for hiking, camping, fishing, kayaking, swimming, backpacking, horseback riding, OHV trails, picnicking and taking a scenic drive. And this area can be enjoyed in every season.

But it’s not called Lakes Basin for nothing! Of course, we didn’t make it to every lake in the area but we did check out quite a few. Read on to get more information about the beautiful lakes in the area and what to expect from a trip along Gold Lake Highway.

Checking Out the Lakes on Gold Lake Highway

Some lakes in the Lakes Basin Recreation Area are easily accessible from the road and as simple as parking in the lot to reach them. But some require a short walk or long hike to get to. One of the best thing about hiking to see the lakes on Gold Lake Highway is that there are many trails that can be connected to create a loop allowing for several lakes in one trip. And there are also some lakes that have campgrounds nearby or on the shoreline. The northern section of the Lakes Basin area is in Plumas National Forest and the southern section is in Tahoe National Forest. Let’s dive in!

Lakes on Gold Lake Highway in Plumas National Forest

Gold Lake

Gold Lake is the largest of the lakes on Gold Lake Highway. It allows motorized and non-motorized boat use and there are two boat launch areas. There are also two campgrounds and horseback trail rides as well as good fishing. As of 2020, the facilities and day use of Gold Lake requires a fee. And the site is managed by Outdoors in Plumas. This large lake is a popular destination in the Lakes Basin area. And it’s a good choice if you are looking to go boating.

Goose Lake

Goose Lake is a very accessible lake and requires just turning off of Gold Lake Highway and parking. A short walk will get you to the shore of Goose Lake and there is also a campground along the part of the shoreline. When we visited Goose Lake it was a very smoky day from the fires in the area so it gave it an eerie look. But this seems like a wonderful place to camp and enjoy the water. Right next to Goose Lake is Haven Lake which also has a campground and is easily accessible from the road.

Big Bear, Little Bear, Silver, Round Lakes

There are several sparkling blue lakes that can be accessed from Round Lake Trailhead. Big Bear Lake is a mere half mile hike to a rewarding and scenic lake with an adorable island in it. And there are some great rock outcroppings along the shore that are perfect for jumping in from and hanging out on.

And Little Bear Lake is just before Big Bear Lake. This is a good opportunity to turn this hike into a loop to visit two more gorgeous lakes in the area: Round and Silver. We visited Round and Silver on our Long Lake Loop adventure discussed next.

In my opinion, Big Bear Lake and Round Lake are both comparable to alpine lakes that usually require miles of hiking or even backpacking to reach. The beauty and surrounding landscapes are amazing!

Long Lake, Mud, Helgramite, Silver and Round Lakes

Long Lake Loop is an incredible way to see several lakes in one hike. It’s about one mile to reach Long Lake which is a destination in itself! Long Lake is a pretty vast lakes with a gorgeous backdrop and a couple islands.

The trail follows the perimeter of the lake allowing for new beautiful vantage points and the opportunity to summit Mt. Elwell. And let me just say, the view overlooking the Lakes Basin area from atop Mt. Elwell is worth every step!

Along the loop trail you’ll encounter the small Mud Lake and Helgramite Lake. We found Helgramite to be pretty charming.

From here, there are several connector trails that can take you to even more of the stunning lakes on Gold Lake Highway. We decided to add on Silver Lake and Round Lake on this adventure. And we really enjoyed Round Lake! It was so beautiful with amazing scenery in every direction and a perfect place to jump in and swim around. As I mentioned above, Round Lake and Silver Lake can also be done in a loop with Big Bear Lake.

Bonus: Frazier Falls

Although not a like, Frazier Falls is definitely a worthy stop along Gold Lake Highway. From the Frazier Falls parking area, there is a scenic, easy, paved half mile (one way) trail to overlook this 176 foot waterfall. Gold Lake, mentioned above, actually feeds Frazier Creek and eventually Frazier Falls. The amount of water in the waterfall varies quite a bit but at least the scenery is good regardless.

Lakes on Gold Lake Highway in Tahoe National Forest

Upper and Lower Salmon Lakes

Upper Salmon Lake can be accessed from the parking area and there is a trail that leads along the shore of the lake as well. The parking area has a boat ramp for non-motorized boats and a vault toilet. From Upper Salmon Lake you can hike to Horse Lake and Deer Lake. Salmon Lake Lodge is on the far shore of Upper Salmon Lake.

We had a great time at Upper Salmon Lake! It was a gorgeous hot day and we followed the shoreline to a rocky outcropping that we were able to jump off of into the water. The water was clean and blue and the surroundings were forested and mountainous. We were having too much fun at Upper Salmon Lake and ended up never making it to Lower Salmon Lake.

Snag Lake

Snag Lake is a pretty lake accessed via a parking area just off Gold Lake Highway near Goose and Haven Lakes. There is a campground here near the shore as well as vault toilets.

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Packer Lake

Packer Lake is a pretty lake lake that does not require any hiking to reach. This day use area has vault toilets as well as several picnic tables and grills in the woods along the shore. And the shore has nice little beach patches prefect for a day lakeside. This scenic lake has a forested shoreline with rocks and mountains in the distance. Packer Lake Lodge is located on the far shore.

Sardine Lake

We actually didn’t stop at Sardine Lake but it is another lake that is easily accessed off of Gold Lake Highway. It’s only about 1.5 miles from Bassett Station and there is a campground near the lake providing access for swimming as well as boat rentals at Sardine Lake Lodge.

Upper and Lower Tamarack Lakes

While we were camping near the Sierra Buttes, we took a run to check out Upper and Lower Tamarack Lakes. These lakes are accessible via a rough OHV road. Or just park at the trailhead and walk the 1.25 miles to reach the lakes. The lakes themselves appear pretty shallow with forested surroundings and a pretty, mountainous backdrop.

Thanks for Reading!

As you can see, this is an incredible area with lots of beauty to explore! Hope this article helps with planning your trip to the Lakes Basin Area. I’ve gotta say, Round Lake, Big Bear Lake and Long Lake are probably my favorite lakes on Gold Lake Highway (so far)! Which are your favorites? Let me know in the comments below.

Interested in more information about this amazing Northern California gem? Here are a few other articles about our experience in the Gold Lake Highway area:

• Free Camping Near the Sierra Buttes
• Hiking to Sierra Buttes Lookout Tower
• Longboarding Frazier Falls
• Camping Near Frazier Falls

And if you’re interested in helping support The Lost Longboarder, head over to our Lost Coast Longboarding shop! Our longboards are all hand painted and one of a kind and our T-shirts are screen printed by us.

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