Looking for a good 1st trip for kids

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Fishon
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Re: Looking for a good 1st trip for kids

Post by Fishon »

Weaver Lake in the Jennie Lakes Wilderness. Good distance for first timer kids.

Have fun.
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Kris
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Re: Looking for a good 1st trip for kids

Post by Kris »

Winnemucca lake from Carson Pass of hwy. 88 (near Kirkwood). I used to take my daughter there (she's since graduated to longer hikes!). It's approx. 2 miles from the TH. Nationally know for the wildflowers on both sides of that pass, it's a great destination. Small creeks along the way. The lake can fish well for brookies to good 10-11" or so. Ive never flyfished there, but theres some shoreline on the eastern side of the lake and if you dont mind wading some you'll come into fish. Great hike and destination for kids. Easy hike up to summit elephants back or hike to some other nearby lakes.
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balzaccom
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Re: Looking for a good 1st trip for kids

Post by balzaccom »

Somebody mentioned Bowman Lake road here...you can drive up to the fire lookout on Grouse Ridge, and from there you can hike, all downhill, to about ten different lakes. The first one is barely two miles from the trailhead. The advantages of this route are that:

1. The kids can see some of the lakes from the beginning---so they know where they are headed.

2. The uphill is all on the way out, when your packs are empty.

3. There are enough lakes that you can either day-hike or continue on to explore the area at your leisure.
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paula53
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Re: Looking for a good 1st trip for kids

Post by paula53 »

I second the Leavitt Meadow to Roosevelt Lake and Lane Lake with The West Walker River trip for children. I took my sons on an overnight trip, we visited Secret Lake, then Roosevelt & Lane Lakes. They are close together. Good campsites are nearby. The only thing to watch out for is that the packer station comes through on horseback trips and supply trips. My sons enjoyed looking at the horses & mules and talking with the friendly guides.
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abbaman
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Re: Looking for a good 1st trip for kids

Post by abbaman »

The twin lakes over Kaiser Pass leaving from Badger Flats campground is pretty mellow. I did not take the kid but I did take my dad for his first trip there. I want to say the first lake is right around 4 miles in and there is only one short climb on the way out. Very pretty out there

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Have fun and enjoy
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MountainMinstrel
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Re: Looking for a good 1st trip for kids

Post by MountainMinstrel »

Fishon wrote:Weaver Lake in the Jennie Lakes Wilderness. Good distance for first timer kids.

Have fun.
I will second this one a great hike to a pretty lake. Jennie lakes wilderness sit between Sequoia and Kings Canyon nps and requires no permits.
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mediauras
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Re: Looking for a good 1st trip for kids

Post by mediauras »

TehipiteTom wrote:First couple trips I took my son on were to Granite Lake in Mokelumne Wilderness. 2 miles in (out of Blue Lakes trailhead), ~500' gain. Very pretty lake, fairly popular but not so popular that it's hard to get a permit.

If you feel like wandering off trail a short distance (my son loved exploring off the trail), there are two very easy cross-country destinations: Devil's Corral, north of Granite Lake, and Evergreen Lake, to the south. I found the whole area to be ideal for kid trips.
I'm reviving an old thread here, just cause I have to say that I did this trip a few weeks ago with my kids and it was AWESOME! Thanks for this great suggestion TehipiteTom, you really nailed it -- its ideal for kids. Short hike in -- some elevation gain but not difficult. Granite lake itself is really beautiful (and very cold :) ), but what's so great about this area is the terrain. Tons of wide open spaces with abundant granite, with very little too steep and difficult for all day kid scrambling. My two just went nuts for our few days there, never stopped moving. Best playground ever! And on our layover day we wandered over to Devil's Corral, which was also totally amazing. A great big-country feeling valley, with abundant signs of big wildife and a great creek. Again, kids were totally enthralled and busy here (and so was I, heh). We went in on a Sunday so ran across a number of people that day, and while there were a few other folks there that night, the next day and evening we had the place totally to ourselves. Over the past few years we've hit a bunch of other places on similar short backpacks, but this was one of the better ones. Fantastic.
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Jimr
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Re: Looking for a good 1st trip for kids

Post by Jimr »

LOL, class 3 butt scrambling.
If you don't know where you're going, then any path will get you there.
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murphtron
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Re: Looking for a good 1st trip for kids

Post by murphtron »

Chain Lakes in the Emigrant Wilderness is a good spot for kids. 2 miles in roughly flat. Nice lake, a bit shallow but that makes it warm for swimming. Lounge on your thermarest! Easy 1 mile scramble to the southernmost lake which is also good for swimming. The long drive in to Box Springs trailhead keeps usage to a minimum.

http://caltopo.com/map.html#ll=38.1321, ... o=r&n=0.25" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

This is also a great cross country shortcut into the heart of the Emigrant Wilderness. Shaves off those unpleasant miles from Crabtree, and is far more interesting. There are two ways down into the West Fork of Cherry that I'm aware of.
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