A weekend of camping at Pogie Point Campground on Lake Pillsbury located in the Mendocino National Forest.

Several nice short but scenic hikes await at the Taylor Creek Visitor Center area, which serves as parking. We hiked on Pope Beach, the Rainbow Trail – which is a trail about the wildlife and plants in the area, and the Mt. Tallac Historic Trail along old log cabins from the first settlers.

Stayed here for free during “Labor Week” 2010 as a staging for backpacking the following day. We fished at the dam of Union Valley Reservoir and spent one night here. Wasn’t too bad.

A friend and I took a dispersed camping trip and what I’ll refer to as super ultra-lightweight backpacking. The location? the Southwest end of Union Valley Reservoir in Crystal Basin near Kyburz, CA off highway 50.

Desolation Wilderness is located north of Hwy 50 on the way up to Tahoe. It offers miles and acres of subalpine awesomeness with hundreds of lakes, trails, and heaps of granite. One of my favorite spots to backpack.

Lake Pillsbury in Mendocino County offers a rustic campground on a lake with snowy mountain views. Just about requires a 4-wheel drive vehicle to get there. Best in Spring.