Base Camp

Trinity Alps Photo

It may surprise you to learn that the Trinity Alps is the second largest wilderness in the state of California. While the east side with its towering granite spires brings the crowds, the whole west side of the map gets almost no use. You could easily spend a week exploring the countless creeks and

mountains with out ever seeing a single person. Spring is a sublime time to wander through the low elevation forests of the Trinity Alps. Flowers are just starting to bloom while crystal clear creeks seem to be poring down the mountain from all directions. You just might wake up in the morning to find hundreds of moths and butterflies fluttering around camp in the morning sun. Wildlife is also very plentiful in the Trinity Alps. With a little luck you may see black tail deer, black bear, mountain lions, and hundreds of other species that live within the Trinity Alps Wilderness. With over 515,000 acres of beautiful wilderness to explore there is no reason for everyone to go to the same place. There's plenty of room to roam through the great old growth forests of the Alps. Meanwhile, the highest peaks and and most spectacular lakes in the Trinity Alps can almost all be found in the White Trinities. With towering granite spires and glacier carved canyons these mountains are comparable to any mountain range in the world. Maybe not in size, but in their exquisite beauty. Unfortunately this beauty brings a price. Most lakes and meadows in the White Trinities are often crowded even on weekdays. On a busy weekend a popular trail like Canyon Creek or Stuart's Fork could bring as many as five hundred people. However, even Stuart's Fork has a back road. A trail that leads to the end of Deer Creek and into a red barren landscape that could remind you of Mars.

Few trees and only the heartiest plants and wild flowers call this place home. Colder and hotter than other areas in the Alps. The temperature in the sumer here can range from over one-hundred in the midday sun to near freezing in the late nigh and early morning hours. This area is also very steep. Only those is good hiking condition should attempt these hikes. Some trails in this area can rise as much as 4,500 feet in just a few miles.