High Sierra Topix

I'm sure you guys get this all the time but I'm looking for a place to go camping with my girlfriend next week and I can't find the info I want anywhere else...

So here's the breakdown:
We are not looking to go backpacking, just a drive up campsite for a night or 2. Somewhere scenic with good trails nearby, dog friendly preferred.
-I'm only a level 2 camper/backpacker.. GF is level 1.
-Don't mind a hard hike, as long as the dog can make it (no rock climbing or anything crazy...)
-Looking for that big mountain scenery near a lake or river. Will probably spend days hiking, taking pictures, mushroom hunting(lots of trees preferred for this), and possibly some fishing.
-Western Sierras off highway 108 or 140 would be ideal. (or anywhere in between..)
-Beautiful but secluded! Don't want to go to some packed place like Pine Crest.

-Also, don't know if you guys can help here, but a place with minimal ranger occurrence is preferred.. I know my 215 card doesn't apply on federal land and I don't want to get busted for my medicine!

Thanks in advance for any help.

I love fungus! but, given it's early and the snow is still to melt, where are you thinking you want to go. You know better than us where you want to be.. I understand the tree thing, but what variety are you after?

With the snow load, you're gonna be almost in the central valley.

Basically I'm hoping to go as high as possible this early in the season... I wanted to go to Eleanor Lake since it's kind of like backpacking with the 1 mile hike from the car, but I'm sure that's not open yet. If the snow load is that crazy I might just have to go to the Santa Cruz mountains or something...

Hi FungusFinder209

Welcome to HST.
Here is a discussion from a while back: viewtopic.php?f=1&t=1555" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Though I have not hunted for mushrooms in the Sierra, there are an abundant of
places in the Santa Cruz Mountains, Sonoma (great chanterelles), Salt Point State
Park up to Fort Bragg, which have giant porcini's up to a couple of pounds, but Oct-Jan
is the in-season.

I have heard that the Pipi Valley Campground is supposed to be great for mushrooming
around early June, located south of Placerville and on the border between El Dorado
and Amador counties, near Pioneer.
It is at 4000 ft, and there is also some fishing available, and since it is pretty out there
you might get the privacy you need.

Mushrooms Mania: http://WildernessApertures.com/img/s8/v ... 5748-6.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

There are a lot of great places off Hwy 108 to camp. I can't remember the names of the roads... But just drive up the side roads on the soouth side of the road, say just below the Eagle Lakes Rd., or in that area, and you'll find a good place.

Whether or not you will find shrooms is another story. I find and eat chanterelles and bluets around here all ther time (well, in their season of course), but this has been a weird shroom season - very good until that little drought and freeze, then with the the last bout of rain, a slight comeback... Had some great chanterelles a month ago... And a few bluets right out of my backyard too.