One of many loop trails in the Plumas Lakes Basin: Three-Bear-Lakes—Long-Lake Loop

Big Bear Lake

There are three lakes in the Lakes Basin Recreation Area south of Graeagle, California, named descriptively based on their size in correlation to the size or age of bears: Big Bear Lake, Little Bear Lake, and Cub Lake. Collectively, these are the Bear Lakes. They are roughly aligned from east to to west and can easily be accessed on the south side of a one-mile long trail section which coincidences with two trail loops: the Round Lake–Silver Lake–Bear Lakes Loop and the Bear Lakes–Long Lake Loop. Nearby, you have additional loop options, including other lakes, and—for a longer hike—you may even debate climbing further up to access the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) via one of the lake-area–PCT connector trails.

Here, I briefly describe the Bear Lakes–Long Lake Loop trail and show some of my snapshot taken along a half-day trip on an early-September day in 2026.

I started at the Round Lake Trailhead and followed the path—with views of the Gold Lake Lodge—to the Y-junction where one would turn left for the Round-Lake–Silver Lake Loop and where the right-turn trail gets you to Big Bear Lake. The latter path is a short connector trail to the Bear-Lakes–Long-Lake Loop, beginning (for those starting at  the Round Lake Trailhead) here at the north-east shore of Big Bear Lake. One can avoid this connector trail by starting from the Elwell Lodge trailhead. 

At Big Bear Lake a Plumas National Forest marker provides the ice-age context (interestingly, all in present tense):

The rocks in the background of the lake show striated surfaces caused by glacier movement. Fragments of rocks enclosed in the ice grind away at the bedrock and leave smoothed, grooved, or scratched surfaces. Water enters the lake from Little Bear Lake.

Leaving Big Bear Lake, you will soon come to its water source: Little Bear Lake, a shallow lake with an elongated, angled shape. The next quarter mile, and you will be at circular Cub Lake.

Rocky path between Little Bear Lake and Cub Lake

Another quarter mile, and you will find yourself at the loop-split junction above the south shore of Long Lake. On the way, I passed several patches of low-growing oak shrubs and various slightly cracked rocks that had shrubs growing on their top.

Shrubby oak acorns (early September 2026)

Crevice-anchored shrubs

Loop-split junction trail post

Turn right at the loop-split junction and enjoy the Long Lake overlook.

Long Lake and Mt. Elwell

Along the downhill path the the Elwell Lodge trailhead, rock shapes and rock positioning again caught my attention.

Being exposed or not? Rock on rock in the Lakes Basin

From the Elwell Lodge trailhead, you have half a mile which takes you back to Big Bear Lake. Turn left at the north shore junction you already passed earlier and relax along the final half-mile that takes you back to the Round Lake Trailhead. 

Getting there

Your starting point is the same as for the Round Lake hike: the Round Lake Trailhead near the Gold Lake Lodge.  

Related Trips

Trips 9 and 10 (pages 30 to 34) in: Mike White: Afoot & Afield. Wilderness Press, Berkeley, CA; 2nd printing November 2008.

Gold reserve under Round Lake

Round Lake—at an elevation of 6,800 feet (2,073 m)—backdropped by mountains of the northern Sierra Pacific Crest

Round Lake Trail is a 1.5-mile-long hiking path—part of the Bear Lakes Loop—to a picturesque, cirque-bound lake in the Lakes Basin Recreation Area near Graeagle, California. Relics at the south side of the lake provide a glimpse into the local gold mining history [1-3].

From the Y-junction, about a quarter mile west of the trailhead parking lots, turn left and make an easy climb to where a short use trail leads to point with views of Big Bear Lake. 

Big Bear Lake see from a use trail dead-end off Round Lake Trail

Return to the main trail and continue your climb to the Pacific Crest Trail connector/Bear Lakes Loop junction. Here, a  Plumas National Forest historical marker with the title “Round Lake Mine” summarizing the gold mining activities at and underneath the lake [4]:

This gold mine, part of the Johnsville Mining District, was initially prospected during the Gold Rush but not fully developed until 1914. A stamp mill was built here in 1915 to extract the gold. Only a few feet of ground surface were gold bearing as the quartz vein extended under Round Lake and was covered by glacial debris. In 1918, miners built a shaft 300 feet deep. This created a tunnel that followed the gold-bearing solid quartz fissure 100 feet to the east and another 160 feet to the west under Round Lake. 

Going deeper under Round Lake. The marker inscription goes on:

In 1935, the Ready Bullion Company of Sacramento built a second mill at a cost of $100,000. A 400 feet incline shaft was built to reach under the lake. Unfortunately the mill and shaft timbers burned to the ground shortly after they were built. and the venture was abandoned. The remains of the mill are what you see here.

Historic gold mining site with Round Lake

Round Lake mining relics of the historic Johnsville Mining District with Mt. Elwell (Elev. 7818 ft) in the back

Getting to the Round Lake Trailhead

From Graeagle, follow the Gold Lake Highway south to the Gold Lake Lodge. Turn right at the left-side Gold Lake Lodge sign. Go west, head south-west at the fork and find parking near the trailhead.

Map of the Bear Lakes Loop area

Bear Lakes Loop including Round Lake and Silver Lake

Also, check out the detailed trail map at the koomot site [2].

References & more to explore

[1] Mike White: Afoot & Afield. Wilderness Press, Berkeley, CA; 2nd printing November 2008.

[2] Bear Lakes and Round Lake Loop. komoot. URL: https://www.komoot.com/smarttour/e1050438208/bear-lakes-and-round-lake-loop.

[3] Western Mining History - Round Lake. Mining Town Archive 2026. URL:  https://westernmininghistory.com/mine-detail/10212878/. .

[4] Round Lake Mine. The Historical Marker Database. URL: https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=66178.