page_title: Hell Hole Reservoir
section_title: Recreational uses
hierarchical_section_title: Hell Hole Reservoir / Current conditions / Recreational uses
caption_attribution_description: English: Logjammed Five Lakes Creek as it enters Hell Hole Reservoir
context_page_description: Hell Hole reservoir is an artificial, crescent-shaped lake in the Sierra Nevada mountain range 10 miles west of Lake Tahoe in California, United States. The lake is about 3.5 miles long when at full capacity.
  The lake was created in 1966 with the completion of Lower Hell Hole Dam across the Rubicon River, which is a major tributary of the Middle Fork of the American River. Hell Hole is named for a deep canyon which is now under the waters of the lake.
  How the canyon came to be named Hell Hole is a combination of folklore and speculation. An early author, George Wharton James, visited the canyon in 1913. He attributed the name to an unidentified miner seeking riches during the Squaw Valley mining excitement of 1862. It was "a hell of hole to get out of," James wrote, but admitted his source for the place name was more speculative than the anonymous miner's chances for riches at Squaw Valley.
  James' guide for the 1913 camping expedition to Hell Hole was Bob Watson, a well-known camping guide who operated in the Lake Tahoe Region from the 1880s into the first decades of the 20th century.
context_section_description: Today, the lake offers modern facilities to aid in waterborne recreation. The remoteness of the lake limits the number of visitors, so the lake is seldom crowded even during the height of the summer season. Most boating activity is limited to small powered fishing skiffs, canoes and kayaks. Afternoon high winds can make boating precarious. 
  The lake is known by its three components: Lower Hell Hole, the Narrows and Upper Hell Hole. The lake is accessible by motor vehicle only at Lower Hell Hole, where a paved launch facility and forest service ranger station are located. The Hell Hole campground is also located there.
  The campground features a view of the polished granite lakeshore but is not located directly on the shore of the lake because of the steep grade. The campground features a parking area but the 10  campsites are walk-in only. Many visitors use Big Meadows campground about one mile (1.6 km) away, which has 54 drive-in campsites suitable for recreational vehicles.
  A second forest service campground is maintained at Upper Hell Hole and is known by that name. It can be reached by boat or a 3.5-mile (5.6 km) hiking trail that is reached by crossing the breakwater of the dam and hiking on a trail that flanks the lake but is several hundred feet above the water.
  Upper Hell Hole campground is said to have 15 campsites and two pit toilets, but does not have trash service or other amenities. A camping fee is not charged. The campground is arranged on three tiers of elevation. Steps are cut into the granite rock to connect the levels. During the spring and early summer snowmelt, several of the campsites feature creeks and waterfalls nearby. Other campsites there are sheltered by giant granite boulders. Camping is also permitted wherever the rugged shoreline will permit boat landing.
  The lake's principal inflows are from the Rubicon River and Five Lakes Creek, formerly a tributary of the Rubicon. Lake water has drowned the historical confluence of the two water courses. The Rubicon River was once known as the south fork of the middle fork of the American River. The Rubicon River's entry into the lake is via a cataract where the river has eroded through the elevated granite block.
  The lake also features many small granitic islands that expand and contract with the level of the lake. Hell Hole typically has its highest level of water in May and lowers gradually through the summer and fall. The forest service maintains visitor services from May 15 through September 15. The lake is accessible until snow makes roads to the area impassable.
  In 1984, the federally protected Granite Chief Wilderness was created by the United States Congress after a long advocacy campaign by the Sierra Club, a conservation organization.
  Upper Hell Hole forms the western border of the Granite Chief Wilderness. A small buffer zone between the lake shore and the wilderness prevents accidental intrusion into the wilderness. The juxtaposition of the lake and wilderness presents the opportunity for rustic boat/backpacking adventures through the rugged and scenic 25,680 acres (103.9 km²) of wilderness. Like the lake itself, the wilderness is lightly used on the western border. Hell Hole Trail enters the wilderness from near the lake but is difficult to locate. Granite Chief Wilderness is managed by the Tahoe National Forest, while visitor facilities at Hell Hole are exclusively managed by El Dorado National Forest (Georgetown district).
  The Truckee and American River (formerly Foresthill) ranger districts of the Tahoe National Forest advise caution at Granite Chief: "Topographic maps and skills to use them are highly recommended in the wilderness because of the minimal level in signing and remoteness of the area." Wilderness permits are not required to enter the Granite Chief Wilderness. Campfire permits are always required.
  The California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA) has developed a safe eating advisory for Hell Hole Reservoir based on levels of mercury found in species of fish caught there.
caption: Driftwood-filled Five Lakes Creek as it joins the reservoir
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