Sardine Lakes (Lakes Basin)
Lakes Basin (Tahoe National Forest, near Sierra City) · near Sierra City / Downieville · Gold Country & Central Valley
Kayaking & SUP
At a glance
- Best season
- June–September (snow-gated the rest) · Calm alpine mornings
Permits and booking
- Permit
- No permit. Tahoe National Forest — free launching at Lower Sardine Lake (drive-up). Upper Sardine requires a short hike. Snow-gated in winter; the road opens early summer. Bring your own boat.
What is here
- Wildlife
- Trout · Ospreys · Marmots & pikas in the surrounding talus · Deer
Worth knowing
- Good for a first timer
- Yes
Kayaking & SUP detail
- Nickname
- The Sierra Buttes Reflection
- Water types
- alpine-lake
- Exposure
- sheltered
- Sup friendly
- Yes
- Wetsuit
- Cold alpine water even in summer. Short outings on these tiny lakes usually fine without a wetsuit; carry layers and a dry bag — mountain weather shifts fast.
- Tidal note
- No tides; small sheltered lakes. Lower Sardine Lake has drive-up access — launch steps from the car. Upper Sardine requires a half-mile hike up a rough dirt road. The jagged Sierra Buttes reflect perfectly on calm mornings — one of the most dramatic small-lake settings in California.
- Intl tip
- The Lakes Basin is in the Lost Sierra near Sierra City and Downieville (the MTB mecca — see that guide). Sardine Lake Resort's cabins and restaurant are a rustic classic. The Sierra Buttes lookout hike above offers one of the great Sierra summit views. Combine paddling with Downieville riding for a Lost Sierra weekend.
The guide
The Sardine Lakes, tucked into the Lakes Basin below the jagged Sierra Buttes near Sierra City, offer one of the most dramatic …
In the Guidebook
Everything above is yours for free. The written guide to Sardine Lakes (Lakes Basin) — what it is actually like, and what we would tell a friend before they went — comes with the Guidebook.
Getting there
- Coordinates
- 39.618, -120.618