Backpack Chewing Gum Lake

Chewing Gum Lakes is located in Emigrant Wilderness, South of Lake Tahoe and North of Yosemite, with stunning valley views and gorgeous granite faces, peaking through the tree lines of the Stanislaus National Forest. Sitting just north of Yosemite allows you to take in a portion of the beauty of Yosemite's surroundings with a quarter of the crowd.

You need to pick up permits to backpack here; you can do this at the Summit Ranger District in Pinecrest which is approximately 2 hours and 45 minutes away from the parking lot. You can begin this trip from the Crab Tree Trailhead or from the Gianelli Trailhead: this guide takes you from Gianelli. The lake is anywhere between 3-4 miles from the trailhead. Keep in mind that the elevation from there starts at 8500' and can climb close to the 9000' range.

The trail is well maintained and easy to follow. It weaves in and out of the forest with openings into vast panoramic views of valleys and mountains. Once you're at the lake, you can pretty much camp anywhere. Ideally, try to camp in previously occupied spots to limit the amount of damage to the terrain.

Take note of the weather - usually you can expect a 5-10 degree difference because the forecast doesn't pull information from Chewing Gum Lake, but from Pinecrest. You can expect snow as late as May and as early as September. Call the ranger station to see what the fire level is: you may be able to start a camp fire if there is no fire danger.