Frazier Mountain Trailhead/Serene Lake

[carrce]

Just a trip report - tried to head out to Serene Lake last weekend. There is a warning on the hike that the last road (NF 240) might not be suitable for vehicles with low clearance. This was a huge understatement - the road is really only appropriate for 4WD vehicles with high clearance. We were very worried about breaking an axle on the road and getting stuck out there. There are only a couple turnarounds starting at 1.5 miles in. We did make it down, but I would never drive that road in a non 4WD car again. We stopped a small car on our way out and encouraged them to turnaround when they could. The trail entry might have the warning worded a little more strongly to discourage others from trying it if they aren't prepared to off road for an hour!

[Double Tree]

Yep that's one rotten road. I've seen cars there -- but never mine! Just the truck. Thems are sharp rocks too, cut up a car tire sidewall in no time.
Kelly

[BrianEdwards]

Terrible road! Looks like your tires made it out with air pressure still in them.

Something that many people do to avoid that road, is drive to the Shellrock Lake TH and take the Shellrock Lake trail #700 up past the lake and out to the Frazier Turnaround. Much better road, and more time on the trail. The clearcut at the beginning if the Shellrock Lake trail is growing up.

Here's a Trail Advocate page with lots more info: LINK

[justpeachy]

I've updated the Field Guide directions to that trailhead to make it clear that the road is not passable in low clearance cars.

[BrianEdwards]

I forgot this, but on another site, someone said they park beside the road to Shellrock Lake and it's a short bushwack thru the easy old growth to the Frazier Mountain road. They said of the three ways to the turnaround, this one was the quickest. Just passing on the info





I'm just the messenger Haven't done this myself.

[BigBear]

The road to Frazier Turnaround has been known for its horrible conditions for quite sometime. Back in 1994, my wife and I hiked from Shellrock Lake to Frazier Turnaround in the same amount of time it took the Sierra Club to negotiate the road on that particular morning, with us arriving to the parking lot as they were opening their doors. This illustrates that the longer hike is only in mileage, not in time.

[arundodonax]

That's interesting Brian, but in that direction, I'd just hike in from Shellrock—just a little more distance and you get to pass a nice lake.

(Also, that road is spur road 130, and not the main road, so there's a little more driving too).