Ya gotta know where you're going to get to this little lake.
If you have a high clearance vehicle & 4x4 this lonely
lake paradise can be yours for the weekend ( well except for
an occassional wandering hiker, jeep, motorcycle or fisherman).
Tucked way in the northern end of the Tahoe
National Forest, back behind the Sierra Buttes, Smith Lakes
is not easy to reach, but with determination, your reward will
be wonderful. Plenty of seclusion, snowmelt, creeks, trees &
a prime little campspot. Perfect your kayak & fishing skills! But remember the bug repellant.
Bring your fire permit & everything you'll need, cuz there
ain't nothin' for miles & miles. No gas, No stores, No phones.
The access is a 6 mile dirt road (marked for OHV & 4WD)
which becomes progressively worse as you near the lake. Large
rocks & boulders must be carefully manuevered down some steep
section, along witrh several creek crossings. This place is probably
only reachable by vehicle from late Spring to Fall, as the snow
could make navigating very difficult.
A detailed map of the region is a neccessity! The standard
Tahoe National Forest is not nearly detailed enough.
The map recommended for this is the NatGeo Sierra Buttes Map
There once was a travel site based on the East Coast somewhere, who tried to cover everything in California - even the small lakes. DanaMite emailed to inform them that their Smith Lake link was pointing to another Smith Lake in a totally different county. (often there is more than one lake with the same name). Sadly she found many geographic mistakes in their huge nationwide database.
The creators of that site had never been to these lakes, nor any California National Forests for that matter. If you are looking to find the remote, secluded areas of the golden state, steer clear of big commercial travel web sites that try to cover too much information. Stick with this little, independent, decade old web site, Total Escape for everything outdoors in California.
Support this life-long effort by buying a map from Total Escape, so you will not get lost on these back roads! For a $20 map and a tank of gas, you can have your own, unique road trip in Cali - this weekend!
California Wildflowers Camping, Rural Small Towns, Relocation inside California
BORN
to be alive
Total Escape is California, off the beaten path
Finding a decent topographic map for Baja California has always been difficult. Accuracy on terrain, paved routes, gasoline locations, private ranches, thousands of dirt roads, tourist destinations, best beaches on the ever changing peninsula, requires field studies, GPS verification and real world documentation. Landon's Baja Almanac has been outta print for well over a decade, with used copies often selling for hundreds of dollars. After many years of waiting, we now have a new, big, Baja Map on the scene. This beauty is due out next month and created by legendary publisher Benchmark. Amazon is accepting pre-orders for this highly anticipated Benchmark Baja California Atlas.
#totalescape
Rural California Directory: Now that you've found this independent California resource, you can discover more local destinations online. Find your own rural place, a homestead way up in the hills. Or discover that perfect spot for summer vacation, a hidden Sequoia grove, the best waterfall ever, the secret alpine fishing lake or maybe, just a bike rental shop in the forest. We list it here, all outdoors, all local. Travel the back roads of the west, on the cheap. Camp year round, without the fees, from Baja to Shasta. Find secluded spots. Historic, independent inns to remote yurt resorts, yoga weekends to primitive hot springs, RV resorts, or dispersed camp sites. Hiking trails, kayaking lakes, fishing streams, gold mines and ghost towns, and all the topographic maps to go with.
We're still here, thousands of pages and decades later. Way outside the city limits, beyond the county line. No wifi, no smart meters, no gaming addictions, no traffic lights, no city noise. Rural living in California still exist. Hike on the weekends, bike to work, boating mid-week, we have you covered for destinations. Find a new creekside camp spot, a waterfall, trailhead or an ancient lava cave. Total Escape - Two whole decades online. Not quite obsolete.
Craving the Wild? Before the tweets, the constant memes and paralysis of our current culture, DanaMite started this travel web site way back in 1996. Catchy phrases like, FOMO (Fear of Missing Out) did not yet exist.
Total Escape features abundant real photos of real places. Secluded destinations, camping and lodging, examining the best back roads, side routes, the topo maps (to get you out there). Locals-only travel tips, gear reviews, festivals and events. This unique travel site is updated every month, for the past 24 years!
Juicy content specific only to California. Focusing on outdoor destinations, small towns and budget-minded travel since 1996, we've recreated the weekend getaway - without the crowds. Escape the matrix, the city life, the traffic jams and learn how to avoid the tourist traps. Drive on past the factory outlet malls and the water slides, we've got much more to show you. Way out there, on the back roads, and in the backcountry.
Wilderness in California - more nature, less people.
California Wildflowers Camping, Rural Small Towns, Relocation inside California
BORN
to be alive
Total Escape is California, off the beaten path
Finding a decent topographic map for Baja California has always been difficult. Accuracy on terrain, paved routes, gasoline locations, private ranches, thousands of dirt roads, tourist destinations, best beaches on the ever changing peninsula, requires field studies, GPS verification and real world documentation. Landon's Baja Almanac has been outta print for well over a decade, with used copies often selling for hundreds of dollars. After many years of waiting, we now have a new, big, Baja Map on the scene. This beauty is due out next month and created by legendary publisher Benchmark. Amazon is accepting pre-orders for this highly anticipated Benchmark Baja California Atlas.
#totalescape
Rural California Directory: Now that you've found this independent California resource, you can discover more local destinations online. Find your own rural place, a homestead way up in the hills. Or discover that perfect spot for summer vacation, a hidden Sequoia grove, the best waterfall ever, the secret alpine fishing lake or maybe, just a bike rental shop in the forest. We list it here, all outdoors, all local. Travel the back roads of the west, on the cheap. Camp year round, without the fees, from Baja to Shasta. Find secluded spots. Historic, independent inns to remote yurt resorts, yoga weekends to primitive hot springs, RV resorts, or dispersed camp sites. Hiking trails, kayaking lakes, fishing streams, gold mines and ghost towns, and all the topographic maps to go with.
We're still here, thousands of pages and decades later. Way outside the city limits, beyond the county line. No wifi, no smart meters, no gaming addictions, no traffic lights, no city noise. Rural living in California still exist. Hike on the weekends, bike to work, boating mid-week, we have you covered for destinations. Find a new creekside camp spot, a waterfall, trailhead or an ancient lava cave. Total Escape - Two whole decades online. Not quite obsolete.
Craving the Wild? Before the tweets, the constant memes and paralysis of our current culture, DanaMite started this travel web site way back in 1996. Catchy phrases like, FOMO (Fear of Missing Out) did not yet exist.
Total Escape features abundant real photos of real places. Secluded destinations, camping and lodging, examining the best back roads, side routes, the topo maps (to get you out there). Locals-only travel tips, gear reviews, festivals and events. This unique travel site is updated every month, for the past 24 years!
Juicy content specific only to California. Focusing on outdoor destinations, small towns and budget-minded travel since 1996, we've recreated the weekend getaway - without the crowds. Escape the matrix, the city life, the traffic jams and learn how to avoid the tourist traps. Drive on past the factory outlet malls and the water slides, we've got much more to show you. Way out there, on the back roads, and in the backcountry.
Wilderness in California - more nature, less people.
by county 
