Taylor Lake in the Russian Wilderness: Hiking, Camping, Fishing!

Taylor Lake is the most accessible lake in the Russian Wilderness. Camping, fishing, swimming, and picnicking await at the end of the level 0.3 mile hiking trail. This makes Taylor Lake perfect small kids or hikers with physical limitations; nearly everyone can enjoy the beautiful waters, the forest, and the surrounding granite peaks.

Taylor Lake in the Russian Wilderness: perfect for hiking, swimming, fishing, and camping. Also the trailhead for Hogan Lake Trail and Big Blue Lake. — Taylor Lake in the Russian Wilderness: perfect for hiking, swimming, fishing, and camping.

Taylor Lake Trail Key Data

Distance: 0.6 mile roundtrip
Difficulty: Easy
Type: Day hike or Overnight
Elevation gain: 50 feet
High point: 6492 feet
Season: mid-June through October; earlier in low-snow years
Contact: Klamath National Forest, Salmon/Scott River Ranger District
Maps: USGS Eaton Peak, USFS Marble Mountain Wilderness & Russian Wilderness
Trailhead GPS coordinates: N 41 22.067 W 122 58.477
Notes: Dogs allowed. The trail is wheelchair accessible. Toilet at trailhead. Very popular.

Taylor Lake Trailhead Directions

Drive CA Highway 3 to the Etna turnoff, which is 26.5 miles from the junction of Highway 3 and I-5 in Yreka and 12.7 miles from Callahan. Drive a half mile down Collier Way, turn right on Main Street, and then drive 10.5 curvy and paved miles on Sawyer’s Bar Road to Etna Summit. Continue downhill 0.3 mile and turn left onto the dirt (and occasionally paved) access road (Forest Road 41N18) that travels another 2.3 miles to the trailhead, which has room for about 15 vehicles. NOTE: Forest Road 41N18 has steep sections that are not suitable for RVs and vehicles pulling trailers, and there’s not much room at the trailhead for parking large vehicles.

Taylor Lake Trail Map, Russian Wilderness. Includes the Taylor Lake trailhead in Klamath National Forest. — Close-up map of the trailhead, Taylor Lake, nearby Smith Lake, and part of the Hogan Lake Trail. (Courtesy of Caltopo.com)

Hiking the Taylor Lake Trail

The trail begins between two cedars and quickly crosses the Russian Wilderness boundary. As you progress on the slight incline on the wide and shaded trail, note that the forest also includes ample firs and pines. Reach the north shore of Taylor Lake at 0.3 mile.

Camping at Taylor Lake

If you backpack in everything you need for overnight camping, you’ll find several good camping sites near the north shore in the region where the trail meets the lake. If you plan on a campfire, you’ll need a California campfire permit.

Fishing at Taylor Lake

Eastern brook trout are the best bet. Note that a lot of people fish here, so don’t get your expectations too high.

Camp for Free in California National Forests

California’s national forests and BLM lands have thousands of miles of dirt roads with lots of spots for dispersed camping (boondocking). My book provides all the info you need to get started (but is not a guide to specific sites):

Researching the best locations
Finding the best camping spots
Backcountry safety and ethics
What to take

Buy it on Amazon
Buy it on Apple, Kobo, and Nook

Hiking from Taylor Lake to Smith Lake

A trail fork awaits at the north shore. You can go left and hike along the east side of Taylor Lake; about halfway along you’ll come to a steep trail rising east to the ridge, where it meets the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) allowing you to head north to visit beautiful Smith Lake, a Klamath National Forest gem.

Taylor Lake in the Russian Wilderness, with a view of the Hogan Lake Trail beyond. — Taylor Lake. A trail leads over the ridge to Hogan Lake and the cross-country climb to Big Blue Lake.

Hiking from Taylor Lake to Hogan Lake and Big Blue Lake

If you take the right fork on the west side of Taylor Lake, it’s another 3.0 miles and nearly 1500 feet of roundtrip elevation gain to visit Hogan Lake (and have the chance to hike cross-country to Big Blue Lake). This route is Hike 82 in my book Day Hiking: Mount Shasta, Lassen & Trinity Alps Regions, and it’s also described in Hike 53 of my 100 Classic Hikes: Northern California.