Salmon Lake Trail

Salmon Lake Trail is a short, one-mile-long trail that connects Salmon Lake with the Loch Leven Lakes, which are located in an elevated lake basin in the Sierra Nevada—south of the South Yuba River between Rainbow and Big Bend.

Salmon Lake Trail starts at the trail junction near the shore of Lower Loch Leven Lake, where the Loch Leven Trail continues on to Middle and High Loch Leven Lake.The shown trail sign marks the beginning of your two-miles out-and-back side trip. Or—perhaps—you want to spend a quiet night at one of the few Salmon Lake campsites.

From the lower-loch junction, a short climb through pine forest with small meadows of corn lilies and other plants gets you to a granite plateau, offering southwest views towards the Sawtooth Ridge and North American River Canyon. The trail descends over bare granite sections and then turns west through a lightly forested, rocky landscape. You'll get your first look of Salmon Lake not until reaching its granite rim. Once there, you'll have plenty of granite sculptures, humps and terraces with varying vistas to explore. 

Keywords: hiking, backpacking, nature, outdoors, fishing, camping.