Dinkey Lakes Day Hike to Mystery And Swede Lakes

Dinkey Lakes Day Hike to Mystery And Swede Lakes

Dale Matson

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Hike Route

Beginning elevation 8,586’

Highest Elevation 9,232’

Gain 888’

Distance 5.5 miles overall

Time overall 4:27 Out and Inbound times were about the same.

https://midsierramusing.blogspot.com/2021/06/dinkey-lakes-mystery-and-swede-lakes.html

We did the same hike last year with our dog Hobbes. The particulars can be found in the above link to last year’s hike. The 12 mile drive off Dinkey Creek Road is memorable and terrible. The initial road is called “Rock Creek Road” and later it is called Foster Ridge Road. I have not come from Tamarack off Highway 168, but I believe it may even be a longer drive. We went in mid-June last year and there was a good amount of flowing water in the creek. We met some fishermen who said the best fishing lakes were 1st Dinkey, Rock and Swede Lakes. There are plenty of campsites for overnights but a wilderness permit is required.

If the drive was civilized, this would be more popular than most of the other hikes in the area. A high clearance vehicle with off road tires is necessary. 

You could approach the Dinkey Lakes Loop from Courtright Reservoir by hiking to Cliff Lake and on to Dinkey Lakes from there but that is a 25-mile loop! (Not a day hike for most folks).

This time of year, there is little water in the creek and few mosquitoes. This year I used my Sony A7C and 16-35 f4 Sony/Zeiss lens. 

Photo by Sharon

Crescent Meadow and Moro Rock

Sequoia Park 

Crescent Meadow And Moro Rock

Dale Matson

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The KNP Complex fire of 2021 is still very evident as you drive South on the General’s Highway. My son and I had visited Crescent Meadow a few weeks ago and were fortunate enough to photograph two bears.

Wednesday my wife and I headed to the same location to look for bears again but to no avail after hiking a 3.5-mile loop that included Elderberry Meadow. But…Sharon has sharp eyes and spotted a Mule Deer just off the road laying under a Giant Sequoia. It is probably my best deer photograph. I used my Sony A1 camera and 100-400mm lens at 325mm. The two fawns and Moro Rock were taken by Sharon.

We next drive to Moro Rock which is close to Crescent Meadow (on the week days you are not required to take the shuttle.) Well, one thing led to another and we decided to make the ¼ mile climb. There is about 230’ of climb with some parts semi exposed. We saw some folks about half way up who were waiting for their friends to return from the top.

When you reach the top, you can see the Great Western Divide which forms part of the border between Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks. Looking East, you can see Kaweah River and Kaweah Lake. The High Sierra Trail begins at Crescent Meadow and travels along the divide to Mt. Whitney about 75 miles East.