This is my second time staying at Trumbull Lake Campground to access the hiking into the Hoover Wilderness.  Both times have been fantastic.  Trumbull Lake is at just under 10,000 feet elevation, making it a great place to escape the summer heat.  The surroundings are beautiful.  The campground is very simple, just how I like it.  Near the campground are Trumbull Lake, Little and Big Virginia Lake, and Red Lake.  Along the trail once you enter the Hoover Wilderness is a string of lakes starting with Blue Lake, then Cooney Lake, the three Frog Lakes, and Dry Pond.  The trail continues over a pass at 11,100 feet elevation where you get a spectacular view on the other side looking towards Yosemite.  Just on the other side was an unnamed lake and Summit Lake about another 3 miles in the distance.  Highly recommended for the night before and after a day of exploring the wilderness.

My first time to the Back Rock Desert.  I have always avoid going to events on the playa due to not wanting my adventure van full of that nasty white chalk like dust.  But, I was invited to attend the Friends of Black Rock meteor shower viewing party.  It was great.  The Friends of Black Rock put on a wonderful event that included dinner and breakfast the next day, live music, a talk about the importance of dark sky's, black light scorpion search, geyser trip, hot springs trip, and a stewardship clean-up.  In my favor was little to no wind, so almost no dust except for what I kicked-up driving the 6 miles in and out of the viewing location on the playa.  I will definitely go to future events, except for the Burning Man dust festival unless I go in someone else's rig.

This area is beautiful.  At almost 9000 feet elevation, it is a great place to escape a heat wave on either side of the Sierra.  Reno was having 104 degree highs, so we were looking for elevation that was not too far away.  20 degrees cooler here.  Highway 4 over Ebbetts Pass is an interesting drive.  About 1-1/2 lanes wide, winding, no guard rails.  The 7 mile dirt road from Highway 4 to Highland Lakes takes awhile.  We go slow.  We put our van with a great unobstructed view over the lake out the slider and from under our awning looking towards Hiram Peak.  The hiking in the area was spectacular.  Lots of trails, snow fields, wild flowers, and wonderful views.

Just try to get a last minute camp spot on Memorial Day weekend most places.  We were fortunate to discover Butt Lake near Lake Almanor.  Only one small burn area far from the campgrounds.  Friday was opening day for Cool Springs campground.  A PG&E operated facility, it was in great shape and ready for the season.  We did three nights, departing on Monday.  On Friday night we were one of only a few guests.  Saturday and Sunday were full, but the feeling was vary spacious.  The lake is a reservoir with no actual inlet.  Rather it is fed by a pipe from Lake Almanor with a hydroelectric plant just prior to the water entering Butt Lake.  Oddly for a PG&E lake there is not hydroelectric plant at the outlet dam.  Did some bike riding to check out the dam, Ponderosa Flat campground, Pioneer cemetery, and east shore of the lake.

This site is really close to Reno, except for the time it takes on the dirt road.  We went in one way and out the other.  Our way in was from 395 at Bordertown north of Reno on Long Valley Road.  Once on the dirt the first couple of miles were bad washboard.  Slow going.  Then, the rest of the trip had some challenging driving with rocks and ruts.  We went really slow and everything was fine.  We left via Dog Valley Road and hit the pavement again in Verdi.

We visited for a night mid-week.  Only one other campsite was occupied.  The trail from the campground to Crystal Peak was great.  It's more like Crystal knoll.  The history of Cristal Peak is amazing, and the crystals are everywhere.  Really nice views from atop the knoll too.  Many people visit just for the day to collect crystals.

Another mid-week quick adventure two weeks before spring.  Weather in the Sierra foothills in early March is perfect for a couple day getaway from the colder temperatures and snow in the higher elevations where we live.  Peninsula campground on Folsom Lake is in the rolling hills and oak trees, remote from the more popular side of the lake.  In the summer months the lake is very busy and the hills are brown with dried grass.  But in the early spring it is quite, especially here, with green grass and wild turkeys.  With only us and two other folks in the entire campground we enjoyed privacy and seclusion.  Good bike riding too.

We visited Camp Far West for one night on a quick trip looking for somewhere remote, nearby, and slightly warmer during the winter months.  It was green and beautiful.  We were the only people anywhere except for folks in the full hook-up area, which was far from us.  We were right on the lake at the end of a peninsula.  Not a sound except for the birds.  We did a bike ride along the lake through the undeveloped overflow area and beyond to the north east end of the property.  It is our understanding that this campground is very busy during the summer, and a very different experience when all the watercraft are on the lake.  Perfect when its off season and you are the only people.

The name had us a bit confused.  Turns out the area was originally a camp on the immigrant trail to the California gold fields.  You can learn more from the historical markers on site.