Florence Lake
reservoir resides in the John Muir Wilderness Area of
the Sierra National Forest. Its location is approximately
80 miles, or 3 hours east of Fresno, CA. The lake borders
the north end of Kings Canyon National Park and is at
the mid-way point of the famous John
Muir Trail. The reservoir was built by
Southern California Edison Company back in the early 1920's
as part of the Big
Creek Hydroelectric Project. In its construction
it was connected via a waterway/tunnel with other reservoirs
being built in the area using the San
Joaquin River South Fork and other tributaries.
Since its completion, Florence Lake (along with other
reservoirs in the project) has become a popular destination
as well as starting point for outdoor adventures of all
types.
WHAT
CAN I DO THERE?
Using Florence
Lake as a starting point for your next High Sierra adventure
is an excelent choice for anyone who loves or wants to
get to know the "Range Of Light". There are
countless things to see and do from this remote Californian
wilderness location. The area is abundant with breathtaking
high elevation peaks, pristine alpine lakes, meandering
streams and rivers, and beautiful wildflower covered meadows.
Florence Lake truely is one of California's best kept
secrets. Throughout the years its secluded location high
in the Sierras has helped to keep the lake pristine, and
reletively unused compared to other reservoirs in the
state. The area is a meca for fishing, camping, hiking,
backpacking, rock climbing, horseback riding, hot springs
and just about any other outdoor activity you can think
of.
HOW
DO I GET THERE?
From
Fresno - take Hwy
168 East to Huntington Lake (approximately 2 hours
travel time) then turn on to the Florence
Lake Road just past Sierra Summit Ski Resort.
This road begins as a well graded two lane road but for
the final 13 miles becomes a roughly paved, twisting one
lane road with "turn outs". (Allow
at least 1.5 hours to travel from Huntington to Florence
Lake as the maximum speed for safety is 10 to 15 mph).
Approximately 7 miles before Florence Lake you will come
to the High Sierra District Ranger Station and soon after,
a fork to the east (left) which leads to Mono
Hot Springs and Edison Lake. Remain on
the main road (right) and continue on to its end at Florence
Lake. Tickets
for the 4 mile Ferry trip across Florence Lake can be
purchased at the Florence
Lake Store. The Ferry service runs every
two hours on the 1/2 hour beginning at 8:30 A.M. and ending
at 4:30 P.M.
Fresno:
+/- 3hrs
San Francisco: +/-
6hrs
Los Angeles: +/-
7.5hrs
ORIENTATION:
The
two main camping facilities in the area are on the
road in to Florence Lake past Huntington lake. These
two campsites are at Ward Lake and Jackass Meadows
(see below for information).
Florence
Lake has a small general
store (open Spring-Fall only) on the
West end of the lake that is owned and operated by
the Muir
Trail Ranch. The store offers little
odds and ends that you might have forgotten to pack
as well as ferry tickets across the lake and boat
rentals. On the South shore of the
lake resides the Florence Lake branch of Southern
California Edison Company. This is where the trailhead
around the lake can be found.
Lost
Valley Pack Station is located on the southeast shore
of Florence Lake. Take the ferry or hike to the East
end of the lake and look for a small A-frame house
and corral. Here's a topographical
location map of Lost Valley Pack Station
to help you find us.
Length
of Stay: 14 Days, Number
of Sites: 44, Reservations: Accepted
up to 120 days in advance.
The Jackass Meadow Campground is minutes away
from Florence Lake. A great place to stay if you
plan to hike or fish in the Florence Lake area.
Camp site facilities at Jackass Meadow include
toilets, and a reasonably new well that provides
potable water. The campground has tent sites,
but no RV sites. Reservation can be made by calling
1-877-444-6777 or by visiting www.reserveusa.com.
Directions:
Follow highway 168 70 miles north until you get
to Huntington Lake. Follow forest road 80 for
about nine miles until you reach a fork in the
road. Choose the righhand fork and follow it for
two miles. The Jackass Meadow Campground is near
Florence Lake. Look for road signs.
Length
of Stay: 14 Days, Number
of Sites: 17, Reservations: Accepted
The Ward Lake Campground is on the way to Florence
Lake, past the Ward Tunnel Portal Forebay. A very
beautiful and popular fishing and hiking spot.
Ward Lake Campground facilities include toilets,
but no potable water. It has tent sites, but no
RV sites for overnight accommodation. Reservations
for all developed campsites may be made by calling
1-877-444-6777 or
by visiting www.reserveusa.com.
Directions:
From Fresno, Follow highway 168 70 miles north
until you get to Huntington Lake. Follow forest
road 80 for about nine miles until you reach a
fork in the road. Choose the righhand fork and
follow it for two miles. The Ward Lake Campground
is on the left, next to Hell Hole Meadow.
Length
of Stay: 14 Days, Number
of Sites: 11, Reservations: Accepted
The Portal Forebay Campground is further away
from Florence Lake. This campground has 11 developed
camp sites. Ward Portal Forebay Campground is
a very popular fishing spot. Camp facilities include
toilets, but no potable water. Has tent sites
and RV sites for overnight accommodation. Reservations
can be made by calling 1-877-444-6777 or
by visiting www.reserveusa.com.
Directions:
From Fresno, Follow highway 168 70 miles north
until you get to Huntington Lake. Follow forest
road 80 for about seven miles. Portal Forebay
Campground is on the right.
For
more information please refer to the High
Sierra Topix message board.
WHERE
IS FLORENCE LAKE?
For
more information please refer to the