Читать книгу The Northern California Camper - Daniel C Merrill - Страница 5

Rating- 10/10

Campsites- 24, no hookups, RVs to 35 feet, open July to October Garbage disposal- yes Reservations- no Contact- Six Rivers National Forest 1(707) 442 1721 or 1(530) 627 3291

Camp host-yes Facilities- Each campsite has a picnic table and a fire ring with grill. The campground has restrooms with vault toilets. Well simply put, this is my favorite campground in Northern California! My family has been coming to this campground for over 30 years, even though we have a great place on the Klamath River only 30 miles away.

Everyone who visits us at our Mawah retreat wants to do one thing when they visit us the next year; they want to revisit Fish Lake. The serenity of this place is indescribable! In the fall when the other campgrounds on the Klamath River are crawling with fishermen, this beautiful place is literally empty. I hope the photographs will give you some idea of the beauty of Fish Lake.

The Lake is at the 1750-foot elevation and 4.9 miles of trails leading to the smaller Blue and Red Mountain lakes climb to 2750 feet. Except for exercise, these trails are not worth hiking to because Blue and Red Mountain lakes are small and covered with lily pads. On the other hand, the 1-mile trail around Fish Lake takes one through a forest wonderland. Everyone knows about the giant old growth Redwoods that may be found in Humboldt County; however, little press is given to the giant fir trees that grow in this area. These are among the largest fir trees in the world and a magnificent stand of these ancient firs lie along the sides of the trail that circles Fish Lake. Finally, we go to Fish Lake to pick huckleberries. This is one of the prime areas for huckleberries in the world!

While Fish Lake is only 7 miles from Highway 96 and the Klamath River, you enter a different world when you come to Fish Lake! In part, this is because of the elevation of this campground, its isolation from the highway and the fact that no one lives in this area. The campground has few visitors because most people who come to Bigfoot Country want to be closer to the great fishing that can be found in the Trinity and Klamath Rivers. Fishing, however, also is pretty good in Fish Lake. The lake is stocked with Rainbow Trout between April and October and Perch and Small Mouth Bass also inhabit the lake.

Unfortunately, lily pads are taking over the lake and one cannot fish it from the shore. Therefore, bring a small boat or rubber raft if you plan to fish. Fish Lake is a small campground with only 24 campsites. Most of the campsites do not face the lake; rather the campsites are situated in the wooded areas, which surround the northern end of the lake. For the most part the campsites are completely isolated from each other; thus, even if the camp were full, it would not seem crowded. In any case, in all the years we have been coming to Fish Lake there has never been more than a few campers in the campground; thus, those who chose to visit Fish Lake will have this very special piece of paradise literally “all to themselves”.

I would advice RVers and campers to park at the camp entrance and walk around the campground before choosing a campsite. The campsites are all a little different and it will be worth the effort to survey each one before settling in for the night. At present the only drinking water available is from the two facets located at the main entrance to the campground.

Positives- unbelievably serene, never crowded, good fishing, beautiful isolated campsites Negatives- Limited water faucets How to get there- Drive north on Highway 96 from Weitchpec for 5.8 miles. Make a left on Fish Lake road and drive 7 miles to the lake. Fish Lake road is a one lane paved road. Except for several short rough areas the road is in excellent condition and wide enough that passing is not a problem. In any case, the road is little traveled and you are unlikely to meet a car.

Local Attractions- None close to the campground Activities- fishing, hiking, huckleberry picking Do not miss this one!