Mountain Mine Volcano Lake

Good local and distant views that get better as you go up the hill, plus a side trip to a lake. Lots of interesting rock formations and views of adjacent ridges and valleys when the trees thin out. It is worth the effort.

The trail is mostly a road which mostly has a rocky surface without much shade. It is very exposed after the lake and we were hanging onto our hats a number of times. You’ll probably want extra layers on a cold day. There is a water crossing early on. We crossed on rocks, but you can easily cross a flat topped log that is not very far off the ground if the water is higher.

The side trip to Volcano Lake is by road or trail and well worth the effort. The trail to Volcano Lake is marked by a small “Old Volcano Lake Trail” sign on a tree that you have to be looking for to find. My track goes a little way up it before we figured out it was too challenging for one of our group that is not good with rocks you have to step over. We continued a little further up the road to a junction with the road to Volcano Lake that is marked by an obvious sign. Others in our group took the trail which is more direct and meets up with the road near the lake.

It is easy to get around Volcano Lake by stepping across the rocks along the shore with occasional sections of trail. It is deep enough for swimming and easily accessible. There are several picnic tables and I think the views of the surrounding ridges would be great without the smoke.

A bent I-beam next to the road and later a pile of old boards over the bank were the only evidence of the mine we found. The road narrows to a trail just before you reach the top where there are more trails heading down the north side of the ridge that we did not explore.

There are no signs at the trailhead. Turn down the dirt road on the left side where Sardine Lake road and Packer Lake road meet. The roads to that junction are paved and good quality. We parked just off Packer Lake road in an obvious parking area across from a large boulder but you could go a lot further in the right car. The dirt road becomes more challenging past a partially legible sign that I think is warning you against taking a street car past that point. It is easier than a jeep trail but has more challenges than the typical dirt road including the water crossing with deep spots and a steep and loose section near the top. An off road capable vehicle can make it to the lake or past the lake turnoff to much nearer the mine site. Places wide enough to park or turn around other than at the lake are infrequent.

There are no fees or facilities at the trailhead. The nearby campground has outhouses and there is a restaurant at lower Salmon Lake.

Hank Meals describes this hike in http://yubatreadhead.blogspot.com/2018/07/the-sierra-buttes-part-2-trails-to.html