While Southern California is best known for its perfect weather and beautiful beaches, Northern California has a lot to offer the outdoor enthusiast. Eldorado National Forest and Yosemite are two 'can’t-miss' destinations that can easily be combined into one road trip, though both have so much to offer you may find yourself returning to each destination again and again. From Stanford Sierra Conference Center, it is an easy hike of a few miles to acceess the El Dorado National Forest.
Northern California's Eldorado National Forest is situated just west of Lake Tahoe and includes the jagged peaks of the surrounding central Sierra Nevada, known for their glacially carved granite. Its desolate, raw landscape was made famous by photographer Ansel Adams' stunningly beautiful impages. Desolation Wilderness, with its string of alpine lakes and the massive granite bowl at Desolation Valley is typical of the forest's unique beauty. Elevations vary wildly, ranging anywhere from 1,620 feet to 10,380 feet. You can pick up a hiking permit for Desolation Wilderness at the conference center office, then head towards Lily Lake for an easy hike to the Glen Alpine trailhead. From there, you can visit numerous lakes including Grass, Susie or Gilmore on moderate trails. Or for the more adventurous, travel the 5.7 miles to favorite local peak, Mount Tallac.
Fishermen won’t have any trouble snagging a few trout in the forest's 620 miles of rivers and streams. There are also twelve reservoirs where kokanee salmon and mackinaw are plentiful during the spring and fall. During winter, cross-country skiers venture to the Loon Lake Winter Recreation Area where backcountry ski trails meander through the forest and traverse the granite bowls that surround the lake.
Consider visiting Eldorado National Forest during your stay at our Northern California conference center.
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