About this campground
Lakes and forest. Some burned-over areas at Rock Lake. Start at the Silver Valley Trailhead. At .6 miles from the trailhead, take the Duck Lake Bypass Trail (20E04A) to your left (sign says to Rock Lake). Continue .7 miles to the intersecton with the the Highland Creek Trail (20E04). Turn left onto the trail and follow it 2.7 miles to Rock Lake. Total distance one-way is 4 miles. Moderate difficulty. A side trip can be make to Duck Lake by turning right on the Highland Creek Trail and continuing 1/4 to 1/2 mile.
Getting there
Trail starts at the Silver Valley Trailhead: From Highway 4 at Lake Alpine, take the Lake Alpine East Shore road and follow it to the end, just before the Silver Valley Campground entrance. Turn around and park along the right side of the road. The turnoff from Highway 4 is 34 miles east of the Calaveras Ranger Station in Hathaway Pines, California. For a map to the trailhead, go to the Silver Valley Trailhead page.
Activities
- HORSEBACK RIDING
- HIKING
Explore more California camping
Rock Lake Trail (from Silver Valley Trailhead) doesn't take campsite reservations — but plenty of nearby California campgrounds do, and we'll alert you the moment a sold-out site opens up.
Browse California camping →Details from Recreation.gov's official RIDB catalog. Conditions change — confirm with the managing office before you go. Not affiliated with Recreation.gov or any federal agency.