Cherry Lake
With the end of summer and a spectacular Harvest moon on the first day of Autumn, I wanted to share my last camping trip of the season to Cherry Lake.
I called the Groveland Ranger District and asked about the weather and if there were likely to be camping spots (they are first-come-first-serve). They said that the weather had been very nice and should be nice and there were some spots available the previous weekends. I was encouraged, but there were no guarantees.
If you have ever been on the Cottonwood Road/Forest Route 1N04 out past Tuolumne down into the canyon, it is a beautiful winding road that follows the river and then winds around the mountains with many vistas of thousand acre forests. There are a few significant pot holes and of course watch out for various wildlife crossing the road!
Cherry Lake is just outside Yosemite so precautions for bears and plenty of warm clothes and sleeping bags are a must. We brought plenty of firewood and all the fixings for smores. The lake was quiet and beautiful, it was not crowded, the bats and the stars were far more entertaining to watch than tv.
There is even more about Cherry Lake in our destination guide. The whole day was really great, very picturesque and just warm enough for t-shirts.
List of Things to Remember
- Gas- fill it up / top it off
- Water- bring some AND buy some!
- Wear good shoes and sunscreen
- Bring your bike
- Give your kids a whistle
- Carry a flash light
For a complete backpacking list on myMotherLode go here.
A trip to Cherry Lake is very relaxing and peaceful. I highly recommend you go but it will be closed down for the winter so mark it on your calendar for next season.
