On a quick fall trip to the mountains, we explored a bit of the Central Sierra that we hadn’t spent much time in before! While we had spent time along the Highway 4 corridor in spring, exploring the town of Arnold and Calaveras Big Trees State Park, the high mountains above Highway 4 were still unknown to us! The first hike we did to explore the area was Mt Reba!
Located just above Lake Alpine and near the Bear Valley Ski Resort, Mt Reba is a small and unassuming mountain. At a bit under 9,000 feet, you won’t mistake this peak for any of the giants of the Sierra, but late in the season with the weather changing (and no acclimation to speak of for us) it seemed like a great day in the mountains!
Miles/Elevation:
7.5 miles
1,761 feet vertical gain
About Stanislaus National Forest:
First established in 1897, California’s Stanislaus National Forest is one of the oldest national forests in the country. At just under 900,000 acres, Stanislaus contains 78 lakes, 811 miles of streams, and over 1,000 miles of hiking trails (specific I know)! There’s lots of room to explore here!
On its southern edge, Stanislaus butts up against Sierra National Forest, and from there wraps around the western border of Yosemite before heading north. In its northern reaches, Stanislaus covers everything from the low elevation Sierra foothills to the Sierra Crest where it borders Toiyabe National Forest.
Stanislaus has tons to do and is an extremely popular outdoor destination for Californians. Rafting and kayaking can be found through the forest’s lakes and rivers. Hikers and backpackers have tons to explore on the 1,000 miles of trails here. And beyond all of that you’ll find skiing, snowboarding, off road driving, and more!
Getting To The Trailhead:
Help keep nature pristine. Follow Leave No Trace!
Take highway 4 to Lake Alpine, just a few miles east of Bear Valley. At the northeastern edge of the lake, park in the lot for the Chickaree Picnic Area. The trail itself begins on the other side of highway 4 a few steps to the east.
The Mt Reba Trail:
The Bee Gulch Trail:
Find the well marked trail along highway 4, and then take a quick left to begin on the Bee Gulch Trail. The initial stretch of this hike is through sub alpine Sierra pine forest, and while the forest is nice, it’s fairly uneventful. The first half mile is mostly flat and progress comes quickly.
After an easy start, the trail will pick up as you begin ascending up Bee Gulch. At first you’ll be in the trees, but you will eventually climb out of them. The trail here can be a bit tough to follow, and there are a couple of places where we actually lost the trail, but watch carefully and it’s easy to stick to.
This is bear country so make sure you’re bear safe!
Most of the trail up Bee Gulch is pretty gentle, and paired with a nicely made trail, it’s actually pretty easy. From the trailhead to the top of the gulch is about 1,100 vertical feet, but it’s decently spread out over about 2 miles.
The elevation gain will be noticeable in your legs and lungs, but it will also be noticeable in the new views that you earn! As you hike up the gulch, be sure to take a look behind from time to time. To the south, expansive views will open up over Lake Alpine to the forests and peaks beyond. There isn’t anything comparable to Yosemite or Mammoth, but the views are excellent regardless.
Always follow basic trail etiquette when you’re hiking!
One strange thing we encountered on this hike was gunshots. At first, we weren’t sure what we were hearing, and thought that perhaps it was rockfall. However, the sounds kept coming at fairly regular intervals, and eventually, we spotted hunters on the ridge above. It was a bit disconcerting having people shooting guns from who knows where at who knows what, but oh well I guess! Pay attention in early October I guess!
Once we neared the top of the gulch and were approaching the ridge, we encountered the steepest climbing of the day. In the final .2 miles of Bee Gulch, the trail gains nearly 250 vertical feet. That’s a steep incline, but again the trail is pretty nice so it really wasn’t too bad! Take a relaxed pace and you’ll make it in no time!
On The Ridge:
Out of Bee Gulch, you’ll be on top of the ridge. Surprisingly, we suddenly were on a fire road, and nearby were a pair of hunters and an SUV. It was a bit of a surprise seeing hunters on a hike, but we didn’t have any more of a right to be there then them. However, I was pretty shocked that you could drive way up here!
Check out our list of the best summit hikes in nearby Lake Tahoe!
Anyways, we continued on and quickly left the trees behind and emerged on the wide open south face of Mt Reba. While we weren’t above the treeline (that’s over 10,000 feet here) there weren’t any trees around. My guess is the combination of tons of sun, heat, and wind probably make this slope too much for trees.
The trail across the face is actually a gravel fire road which isn’t necessarily pretty, but it does make for quick progress. Once you’re on this fire road, there’s actually only about 300 vertical feet of climbing left to do until the summit.
By the way, I’m pretty sure the summit of Mt Reba isn’t actually a summit. You do climb up a little thing that resembles a summit block, but I’m pretty sure the neighboring peak is a bit higher, and there definitely isn’t 300 feet of prominence between the two.
Anyway, whether it’s a summit or not, there are some pretty nice views so keep going! Continue straight as the fire road turns into a single track trail, and straight again as the trail disappears and you’re forced to travel cross country. Once the trail disappears, the final destination is quite clear. You’ll have to continue straight down a slight descent, then climb up the other side to the summit. There’s a cliff on the right and a steep hill on the left, so just go straight!
Near the summit, you’ll encounter the summit block. There are some spots that might require some really easy scrambling, like literally just pulling yourself up a big step. It’s really not difficult, and very soon you’ll be at the summit!
The summit (or not) of Mt Reba isn’t spectacular in itself by any means, but there are some pretty cool views! The most impressive is the look to the west over Salt Springs Reservoir more than 4,000 feet below! This view was an unexpected surprise since we couldn’t see it until reaching the summit, and adding to the grandeur is Mokelumne Peak more than a mile above the water!
To the north, much of the Mokelumne Wilderness is visible, and to the south you’ll have nice looks over Lake Alpine towards the Carson-Iceberg Wilderness. The summit may not be much, but the views are pretty good!
From the summit, the hike back is a simple return trip along the same trail. There isn’t too much to say other than follow the trail back, but honestly it’s an easy descent. Before you know it you’ll be back at Lake Alpine!
Topdown Lifestyle Rating: 8/10
This is a really nice hike but it does nothing truly spectacular. While being above the trees with huge open views is awesome, this just isn’t really the high Sierra, and as such the views are really good, but not special. Mt Reba also isn’t really a mountain, so the final destination doesn’t feel special either.
Would I recommend doing this hike? Sure, if you’re in the area, but it’s not a bucket list type trail, and there are many others in this mountain range that are better. Don’t go out of your way for this one, but it’s not bad!
Pros:
- Lots of big views
- Time above “treeline”
- Nice trail quality
Cons:
- Nothing truly spectacular
- Fire road walking
- Presence of cars and hunters
Alternative Hikes:
When To Hike Mt Reba:
While the Sierra Nevada is a haven for athletes at all times of year, hiking is best done here in the warmer months. These mountains are famous for their massive snowfall, so trails can be snowed in into the summer.
This hike is pretty high in elevation, so snow will linger up here later than the nearby lower elevation areas. Most years, expect to still be encountering snow well into May, with conditions becoming reliably snow free in June, though you may be able to hike it without snow earlier. Snow is possible anytime during the year at high elevation, but conditions should be snow free until late October or even early November.
This hike can be done anytime there isn’t a ton of snow on the ground, and even then could make for a nice snowshoe hike or cross country ski outing! I would personally recommend this hike between June and September, though you could have perfect conditions from May to early November depending on the year.
Links For Further Reading:
Mount Reba : Climbing, Hiking & Mountaineering : SummitPost
Mount Reba from Alpine Lake | Map, Guide – California | AllTrails
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