Vermilion Valley Resort to Florence Lake - Day and Section Hikes - page 61

From Prather, take CA 168 north to the first stop sign. Turn left to stay on CA
168 past Shaver Lake and Sierra Summit Ski Resort. At Huntington Lake, turn
right for Edison Lake and follow a good road for 6 miles. The next 14 miles are on
an intimidating and winding one-lane road with potholes the size of small craters
and lots of gravel. Allow at least two hours from this juncture. It appears as if they
did not move a single boulder or tree in the creation of the road, thus it remains ab-
solutely one lane the whole way, despite the fact that it takes traffic in both direc-
tions. Rest assured that there are pull-outs along the way. The first feat is going over
Kaiser Pass (9,128 feet), then the road drops for close to 3,000 feet, only to climb
close to another 2,000 feet back up to the lake level. It is not recommended to drive
this road at night, and it's highly encouraged to have snow chains on hand year-
round. A mile past the U.S. Forest Service High Sierra Ranger Station, take a left to
head toward Edison Lake. Roll down and then up the mountain and follow a sign
that reads “Vermilion Valley Resort 2 miles.” Congratulations—you've arrived! And
you thought the hard part was the hiking….
F LORENCE L AKE —The trail ends at the ferry landing for Florence Lake. The drive
here is almost identical to the drive to VVR (above), but when you reach the U.S.
Forest Service High Sierra Ranger Station, take a right to head toward Florence
Lake (instead of the left to reach Edison Lake). Drive the remaining 6.5 miles to
Florence Lake Resort, which offers a store and ferry service across the lake. Buy
your ferry ticket here, then move your car to long-term parking in the paved lot
above the store. If you choose to walk instead, add an additional 4 miles to your
journey along the western shore of the lake.
M UIR T RAIL R ANCH —To make reservations at Muir Trail Ranch for a shorter stay,
call [phone], fax [phone], visit www.muirtrailranch.com , or e-mail
[e-mail]. An overnight stay in their tent or log cabins ranges
from $125 to $150, including breakfast, a sack lunch for the trail, and dinner. If
horses are available, it may be possible to arrange transport from the ranch to the
ferry landing at Florence Lake. It's $200 to transfer luggage via packhorse and an
additional $50 if you'd like to ride a horse yourself.
GPS Trailhead Coordinates Starting trailhead LAKE EDISON FERRY LANDING
UTM zone (WGS84) 11S
Easting 0328251
Northing 4141859
Latitude N 37°24′26.21″
Longitude W 118°56′26.24″
GPS Trailhead Coordinates Ending trailhead FLORENCE LAKE FERRY LANDING
UTM zone (WGS84) 11S