High Lakes

Total Miles
17.7

Technical Rating

6

Difficult

Best Time

Summer

Trail Type

Full-Width Road

Accessible By

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High Lakes
5

Trail Overview

Camp, fish and relax in remote seclusion after a day of challenging rock crawling. Despite damage from recent fires, this is a great place to spend a weekend exploring a gorgeous high plateau with numerous glaciercarved lakes. The trail is part of the High Lakes OHV Area, which is open to green-sticker vehicles. Staging begins at Waypoint 04. Please stay on designated routes and pack out your trash.

Photos of High Lakes

High Lakes
High Lakes

Difficulty

Difficult: Although much of this trail is moderate, one difficult spot before Waypoint 05 will stop most stock vehicles. We managed to get through with our stock 4-door Rubicon, but just barely. You'll find tight spots between trees with large tree roots. F.S. 608 to Morris Lake is extreme rock crawling.

History

This area, known as the Kimshew Mining District, has a long history starting with prospecting in the mid 1800s and continuing as late as 1980 with modern hydraulic mining. Source: Friends of the High Lakes, www.friendsofhighlakes.com.

Technical Rating

6

Status Reports

M W
Feb 07, 2025
Open
Snow/Ice
The trail had a few folks on it every though there was snow. We didn’t finish the trail due to the snow was too deep. We pulled out the traction boards a handful of times. When we turned around my buddy in a 4Runner lifted with 35’s got stuck on the road and we had to pull winch. Overall we still had a great time on the trail.
Evan Yip
Aug 10, 2024
Open
Dusty
Muddy/Wet
Main entry dropping into the lakes basin is now gated with locks with signage saying “private”. There is a new official bypass route around this private property that takes 25N04 at the Y with the 611 (prior to first gate headed in) and tags back into the main rocky drop into Spring Valley Lake. This new entry route is very twisty with some steep and loose rocky sections, no longer AWD/small vehicle accessible to the lakes.
Andrew Connors
Jun 02, 2024
2021 Ford Bronco
Obstructed
Deep Snow
Collin Mallery
Oct 13, 2023
Dirt Bike
Open
Muddy/Wet

Access Description

From Chico, take Highway 32 north about 27 miles from Highway 99. Turn right on paved Humboldt Road just before mile marker 37. Continue another 5.3 miles on Humboldt to Skyway (Road) at Butte Meadows. This intersection is about 0.3 miles after Butte Meadows Campground. Follow Skyway 5.9 miles to large intersection for Humbug Summit Road on left.

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