Location: The Mokelumne Wilderness on the Tahoe to Yosemite Trail

Main Features: This set of maps depict the Tahoe to Yosemite trail from Telephone Gulch in Summit City Creek all the way South to the trail junction for Bee Gulch on Mount Reba above the East side of Lake Alpine. The black trail dots with red centers represent the unmaintained or unmarked trails through this section of the Tahoe to Yosemite Trail.

the Summit City Creek trail segment represents a big chunck of the unmaintained trails that compose the Classic Tahoe to Yosemite Trail between Fourth of July Lake and Camp Irene. Once you intersect with the Summit City Creek Trail and turn South, down river, you will travel through an unmaintained section of the trail until you reach Camp Irene on the North Fork of the Mokelumne River. Between your junction with Summit City Creek down to Telephone Gulch, the well-trodden trail bed is discernable and fairly easy to follow despite many fallen trees and over-growth. (As of July 2009.)

From Telephone Gulch to the open rock area before the first ford of Summit City Creek the going is pretty rough. There are very dense forests of Sword Ferns that have large networks of exposed, elevated roots. The roots want to trip you, so the Swords can impale you. There are wide sections of downed forest (beetles and/or blight) and washouts. These areas are hard to travel across due to the occassional necessity to climb over downed trees and push through dense overgrowth, while looking for sign of the trail.  After all that you come to an exposed section of fine granite before reaching the first ford of Summit City Creek.

This beautiful section of exposed rock is well ducked, and leads to the first ford. After fording, turn right to follow the route...

Mapping, Mileage, and National Forest Information

Miles and Elevations

(Coming Soon!)

Trail head to road/trail junction (the first red dot): 1.35 miles

Road/trail junction to end of map: 3.04

Total Trail Mileage: 4.39

back to Tahoe to Alpine Trail Guide Index

back to Meeks Bay trail head

Map Name: Mokelumne Calif.-Nev., 1979, 7.5 minute Topographic

Compass Offset: Magnetic North is 16 and 1/2 degrees East of True North

scale: 1:24 000

Contours: 40 feet

The Tahoe to Yosemite Trail between Carson Pass and Lake Alpine

National Forest: You are in the El Dorado NF from Carson Pass, until you reach the ford of the Mokelumne River at Camp Irene. Here you depart the El Dorado NF and enter the Stanislaus NF. The Mokelumne Wilderness continues within the Stanislaus NF up to the top of Mount Reba. At the top of Mount Reba you exit the Mokelumne Wilderness.

US Forest Service websites

National Forest Backpacking permitting authorities

El Dorado National Forest

Stanislaus National Forest

Wilderness Area: Mokelumne in the El Dorado

Molkelumne Wilderness

Wilderness Area: Mokelumne in the Stanislaus

Molkelumne Wilderness

More Information

Trail Guide: El Dorado National Forest information

Trail Guide: Stanislaus National Forest information

Physical location: Between Highway 88 at the Carson Pass to Highway 4 at Lake Alpine

Lower Ford: 5540 feet

Camp Irene: 5820 feet

Mount Reba: 8720 feet

miles and elevations

Trail Guide, Section: Carson Gap to Lake Alpine

Trail Guide, Segment: Summit City Creek to Bee Gulch

Google Map:

Map Credit

U.S. Geological Survey, Department of the Interior: The USGS

USGS MAP LOCATOR

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USGS Topographic Map Information