A collection of travel and adventure stories

Lakes Basin-Gold Lake Kayaking

Description and Directions >>

Description:
Gold Lake is located in the Lakes Basin Recreation Area. The Lakes Basin Recreation Area is located in Plumas and Sierra Counties in the Sierra Buttes of Northern California. This is one of the larger of over 50 natural lakes located in the area, with a surface area of approx. 500 acres.

Activities:
kayaking, boating, fishing, hiking, picnicking, swimming, sightseeing

Directions:
From Sierra City, drive about 5 miles on Hwy 49 to Gold Lake Highway. Turn onto this road and continue to the sign for the Gold Lake boat ramp. Turn left and continue to boat ramp.

Story Date 8/27/2004
Publish Date 11/18/2004

Story Perspectives >>

According to Mikala: The paddle on Gold Lake was our final adventure during our visit to the Lakes Basin Recreation Area. It was a great time!

We started our paddle early in the morning, just after the sun came up. We thought the water would be calmer this early in the morning. However, there was a slight wind that was blowing over the open lake, but it wasn't that bad. As we started out, the golden sun was shining on the trees on the far shore, making them look very green. We passed one of about three islands in the middle of the lake. These are just little rocky areas that don't have much (if any) shore to land on. We continued to the other side of the lake. I loved floating along, looking at the beautiful ferns and berries lining the shore. There were many granite rocks along the shore as well.

We headed to the far side of the lake, where you could see the rock walls of the canyons in the distance. Very nice. At the other end of the lake, there was a nice sandy beach, but it was a private camping area (no one was around). Further on, we noticed some very private campsites near the shore, which you can also reach by 4-wheel drive from the boat ramp area. I hope to be able to camp around this area sometime in the future. The view and surrounding forest is very beautiful and peaceful.

We paddled back up the lake toward the boat ramp. Along the way, we meandered into little coves, where the water was much calmer. It was terrific to float along and just listen to nature. We finally reached a very nice cove. It was quiet and pretty - I was surprised to find the boat ramp was just on the other side. So close!