Forget Lake Tahoe, Visit California's Underrated Mountain Lake With Scenic Campsites, Hiking, And Fishing

World-famous places like Lake Tahoe, while gorgeous, tend to be afflicted with overcrowding, overfishing, and fully-booked campgrounds. Central California's Lundy Lake provides a less crowded option so that you can forget Lake Tahoe and enjoy quiet solitude and scenery. This tiny mountain lake is only a mile long, compared to Tahoe's 22 miles, and its diminutive size makes it a comparatively underappreciated gem.

The lake is nestled inside Lundy Canyon, about four hours southeast of Sacramento, and two and a half hours south of Reno, Nevada. Parked way up at 7,800 feet in the Eastern Sierra mountain range, the lake got its name from a logger named William Lundy back in the late 1800s. The current lake is largely a reservoir that expanded a smaller natural lake, and is routinely stocked with trout.

The lake is also a popular base for exploring Lundy Canyon, including several hiking trails that pass alpine lakes and showcase views of the Eastern Sierra. Those wishing to extend their stay can book a site at one of two campgrounds or a cabin at the historic Lundy Lake Resort.

Lundy Lake is a convenient base for exploring several hiking trails in the area. The out-and-back Lundy Canyon Trail goes for 6 miles and is known to be a rugged trek, but worth it for the scenery, which a reviewer on AllTrails described as being "dead gorgeous. I'd be surprised if somewhere more beautiful exists." The trail's turnaround point is the smaller Lake Helen.

There's also the Lundy to Oneida Lake Trail, which leads to the historic May Lundy Mine, from which miners extracted silver and gold. You can still see some of their mining tools among the mine's remains. An AllTrails hiker said the trail was a "steady incline the whole way up—but not crowded at all, and had a really interesting mining history and fun [plaques] to read/lots of [abandoned] mining equipment at the top."

The trail is almost 7 miles long and takes a little over four hours to complete. It's best for a morning hike to avoid possible storms later in the day. The trail passes by other small lakes like Blue Lake and Crystal Lake before it reaches Oneida Lake, and the Forest Service advises not to fish or enter the water at Crystal Lake. 

Those looking to catch their dinner will find a boat ramp on Lundy Lake's western edge, and you'll find shoreline fishing spots near the ramp and on the northern shoreline. The lake is filled with rainbow trout, brown trout, and brook trout, according to Eastern Sierra Fish Reports. Rainbow trout reach 16 to 18 inches in this lake. The season runs from April until November, and it is advised to be up to date on current regulations and licenses.

Camping options near Lundy Lake tend to be rustic but sufficient for a peaceful getaway. Lundy Canyon Campground is open seasonally and offers 37 sites with basic amenities. One Google reviewer described this campground as, "Our favorite campground on the eastern side. Quiet, beautiful, first come first serve, usually has vacancies, and not hard to get to."

If you prefer to reserve a spot, Lundy Lake Resort offers cabins sleeping from three to seven people and provides cooking gear and linens. It also has campsites both with and without hookups, which include access to the resort's amenities, including "showers, restrooms, potable water, and fish/dish cleaning stations," according to the resort's campsite page. Lundy Lake is just 15 minutes from Lee Vining, an unspoiled California town surrounded by mountains and canyons. On your way back to civilization, stop in at the nearby beautiful resort town of Mammoth Lakes.