Please note, the Silver Lake West campground will close for the season on Monday, October 1, 2007.
Crossing the Sierra Nevada range along Highway 88 never fails to delight travelers, who are treated to spectacular views of pine forests, rugged mountain peaks, and clear alpine lakes. Two federal Wilderness areas, the Mokelumne and Carson-Iceberg, dominate the high country. Portions of the Eldorado, Stanislaus, and Humboldt-Toiyabe national forests cover much of the region, characterized by the red fir (silver tip) forest type but including lodgepole, silver, and whiteboard pines and aspen. The understory consists primarily of western juniper, sagebrush, and many varieties of manzanita. Opportunities abound for hiking, fishing, skiing, photography, bird watching, family picnics, and solitude. Common game fish are rainbow, brook, golden, brown, and native cutthroat trout.
Silver Lake
Located at 7200 feet in
elevation right off Highway 88, Silver Lake is a sparkling gem set in
a large granite basin — a perfect setting for family outings. The lake’s
history includes use as a resting spot on the Emigrant Trail that was
forged by the legendary Kit Carson. Sandy Cove and Ferguson Point picnic
areas at the lake provide parking, picnic tables, vault toilets, barbecues,
and lake access.
Silver Lake West Campground
Just north
of Silver Lake off Highway 88, EID’s Silver
Lake West Campground offers 42 camp sites. No reservations are taken;
it’s first come, first served. The campground is open from mid-May through
mid-October every year, depending on the weather. Half a mile north of
the campground, visitors enjoy the picnic tables, barbecues, and stream
and trail access at Oyster Creek Roadside Rest. This area also has vault
toilets.
Caples Lake
Located at 7950 feet in
elevation and surrounded by granite peaks, fir, pine, and groves of aspen
and alder, Caples Lake is pure joy for the photographer and avid angler.
There is fishing access at the Caples auxiliary dam, Caples Lake Resort,
and Woods Creek, which also provides parking and vault toilets. At the
west end of the lake, the Caples Lake Trailhead has parking, vault toilets,
fishing, and trail access to the backcountry.
El Dorado Irrigation District
