are required to obtain a wilderness permit for any overnight stays within the Trinity Alps Wilderness, available by self-registration at ranger stations. In addition to hiking and backpacking, the vast area of federal land around the Trinity Alps Wilderness offers numerous activities. The Trinity River is a notable fishery for anglers in search of salmon and steelhead. River runners also covet the river, which offers up to Class IV and V rapids in Burnt Ranch Gorge. Plenty of developed national recreation area and U.S. Forest Service (USFS) campgrounds around the Alps’ perimeter provide excellent camping opportunities, while several resorts and inns offer more-luxurious overnight accommodations.
Trips from CA 3: Weaverville to Callahan
CA 3 connects the full-service community of Weaverville to the tiny burg of Callahan, traveling 63 miles along the west side of the Alps. Outside of Weaverville the two-lane road reaches the east arm of Trinity Lake and then continues northbound just to the west of the lake for several miles, passing turnoffs to USFS campgrounds, boat ramps, and trailheads along the way, as well as private neighborhoods and a few resorts. Beyond Trinity Lake, the highway snakes along the banks of the Trinity River to the small community of Coffee Creek and a junction with Coffee Creek Road (County Road 104), which leads to resorts, several trailheads, and a pair of campgrounds. Beyond Coffee Creek, CA 3 provides access to additional campgrounds and a handful of trailheads. At the junction with Forest Service Road 17, CA 3 veers west away from the Trinity River and makes a winding climb to a high point at Scott Mountain Summit (±5,408'), crossing the Pacific Crest Trail at the northeast edge of the Trinity Alps Wilderness. From there, the road makes a less serpentine but steep descent to a crossing of South Fork Scott River near Callahan at the edge of Scott Valley. Near the far edge of town is a junction with westbound Cecilville Road (FS 93), which provides access to trails described in Trips 29–35.
HIGHLIGHTS Weaverville Historic District, Joss House State Historic Park, Trinity County Museum, Weaverville Farmers’ Market (Wednesdays), Trinity Lake, Trinity River
STUART FORK TRAILHEAD
TRIP 5 Stuart Fork to Emerald, Sapphire, and Mirror Lakes
Set in glaciated granite at the head of rushing Stuart Fork, Emerald, Sapphire, and Mirror Lakes are the area’s crown jewels.
Trip Type:
Backpack, 4–7 days
Distance & Configuration:
29-mile out-and-back to Sapphire Lake (plus 2.6-mile cross-country round-trip to Mirror Lake and 7.2-mile round-trip to Big Caribou Lake)
Elevation Change:
4,240' (average 292'/mile)
Difficulty:
Moderate
Season:
Mid-June–mid-October
Maps:
USGS Rush Creek Lakes, Siligo Peak, Mount Hilton, Caribou Lake, and Thompson Peak; USFS A Guide to the Trinity Alps Wilderness
Management:
Weaverville Ranger District, 530-623-2121, fs.usda.gov/stnf
Nearest Campground:
Bridge
The long canyon of Stuart Fork and the three lakes at the head are breathtakingly beautiful in spite of a long history of human use and abuse. The hike to the lakes is delightful, although not exactly a wilderness experience. Don’t expect solitude—Stuart Fork is one of the most heavily used trails in the Trinity Alps. However, overcrowding is only a problem if you insist on camping at Emerald or Sapphire Lake. Farther down the valley, Portuguese Camp, Morris Meadow, Oak Flat, and other campsites can accommodate large numbers of campers without feeling crowded.
Dense, mixed forest carpets the sides of the lower valley, and the river flows swiftly through a rocky channel with occasional wide gravel bars studded with cottonwoods and bigleaf maples. Both flowers and wildlife are abundant along the trail throughout the summer, especially in and around Morris Meadow. Since the only significant bear trouble I’ve experienced in the Alps occurred near Sapphire Lake, bear canisters are highly recommended. Fishing is good in Stuart Fork for rainbow trout to 10 inches and fair for eastern brook trout in Emerald and Sapphire Lakes. Mirror Lake has both rainbows and brooks up to 10–12 inches. Autumn hikers will no doubt encounter deer hunters near Morris Meadow.
The amble through cool and shady forest on the way to Morris Meadow is one of the fine aspects of this trip, offering easy travel for the first day or two of hiking. Above the meadow, steeper tread matches the terrain of the canyon, passing through groves of stately red firs. Nearing the head of the canyon, sparse weeping spruces, mountain hemlocks, and whitebark pines cling to the walls of a giant, granite cirque. This subalpine environment also supports thick mats of ceanothus and huckleberry oak, as well as varieties of willow and alder in the wetter areas.
GPS COORDINATES N40° 52.975' W122° 55.540'
DIRECTIONS About 13 miles north of Weaverville, CA 3 turns northwest out of the lower end of Slate Creek Canyon and runs along the shoreline of Trinity Lake past Tan Bark Picnic Area and a USFS information center, before crossing a bridge over the Stuart Fork arm of the lake. At the north end of the bridge, Trinity Alps Road turns west from the highway and soon leads to Trinity Alps Resort. The store, when open, is a good place to pick up last-minute supplies, and the dining room offers quite palatable meals, albeit on a limited schedule.
Beyond a row of cabins alongside the river, the road switches to dirt and gravel and heads up past the resort’s stable and corrals. Drive carefully through the resort and be on the alert for children and animals crossing the road. A quarter mile past the corrals you’ll see the Elk Gulch Trailhead on the right with room for one or two cars. Continue another couple of miles to a locked gate blocking the road. The trailhead parking area is on the left, just beyond Bridge Campground and 3.5 miles from CA 3. Although conveniently located near the trailhead, the campground is cramped and dusty; campgrounds around Trinity Lake offer more aesthetically pleasing alternatives.
Description
The Stuart Fork Valley offers a cross-section of much of the natural history of the Alps. Below Oak Flat the river has cut through jumbled sedimentary and metasedimentary rock strata and glacial till. Several thousand years ago, receding glaciers left extensive terminal moraines above Oak Flat, damming a large lake that eventually filled in and dried out to become present-day Morris Meadow. At the head of the valley, Emerald, Sapphire, and Mirror Lakes shimmer in their solid rock basins much as the glaciers left them.
The first mile of the Stuart Fork Trail follows the continuation of the road across private land, as signs direct you to respect the rights of the property owners by remaining on
