Russian Wilderness Backpacking from Taylor Lake Trailhead (Memorial Day Weekend)

🏔️ Russian Wilderness Backpacking Trip

Memorial Day Weekend • May 23–25, 2026

Starting from Taylor Lake Trailhead

📋 Trip Overview

• Duration: 2 nights / 3 days
• Group Size: Max 6 hikers
• Difficulty: Moderate
• Mileage: Approx. 10–15miles total depending on Day 2 exploration
• Elevation: ~4,100–7,500 ft
• Campsite: Paynes Lake backcountry sites at 6,600 ft
• Style: Relaxed alpine lake basecamp trip with optional ridge exploration

🥾 Itinerary

Day 1 - Sat 5/23: Noon: Taylor Lake Trail, around 3 miles, 1,250 ft elevation gain starting at 6,388ft. Moderately strenuous. Set up tents at Payne Lake.

Day 2 - Sun 5/24: Relax & no hike, or hike the Russian Wilderness Loop, probably just half of the loop to the Big Blue Lake. Whole loop: 8.9 mi from Tailor Lake trailhead, highest point around 7,500 feet high.

⚠️ Lingering snow patches possible above ~7,000 ft.

Turn around whenever conditions or comfort level suggest.

Day 3 - Mon 5/25: AM: Head back to trailhead (almost all downhill).

🚗 Drive Time: Approx. 4–4.5 hours from Sacramento

⚠️ Final section:

• narrow mountain road
• winding
• usually passable for regular vehicles in dry conditions
• drive cautiously, especially after dark

Driving to Taylor Lake Trailhead
Near Etna, CA

**https://northerncaliforniahikingtrails.com/blog/2019/06/07/taylor-lake-russian-wilderness-hiking-camping-fishing/**

Trailhead is a paved parking area with vault toilet. Trail has been graded and improved to provide wheelchair access to Taylor Lake.

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.

🧭 Navigation

Taylor Lake Trailhead to Paynes Lake:
**https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/california/paynes-lake-trail--2**

Russian Wilderness Loop on AllTrails
**https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/california/russian-wilderness-loop?sh=true**
**https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/**

Download offline maps before arrival.

Cell service is extremely limited.

🏕️ Campsite Conditions

• dispersed wilderness camping
• no designated campsites
• many granite bench and shoreline options

Please practice:

• Leave No Trace
• pack out all trash
• avoid camping directly on fragile vegetation

🎫 Permits / Reservations

• ❌ No wilderness permit required
• ❌ No campsite reservations required

🐻 Bear Safety

No official bear canister requirement.

However:

• black bears are present
• proper food storage strongly recommended

Suggested:

• Ursack
  OR
• bear canister

💧 Water

Reliable water available from:

• Paynes Lake
• nearby streams

All water must be filtered or treated.

California Campfire Permit required for:

• backpacking stoves
• Jetboils
• any flame device

Free online permit available.
**https://permit.preventwildfiresca.org**

Prohibited:

1. Disposing of soap water waste within 200 feet of any water source.
2. Depositing of bodily waste within 200 feet of lakes, streams, springs, campsites, or trails.