This 18 mile trail loop uses a combination of trails, logging roads to do one large circle loop from Pinecrest to Waterhouse Lake in the Emigrant Wilderness via the northern wall of the Pinecrest canyon and then return via the Dodge Ridge side and Gooseberry creek Rd area.

Update – September 2025 – I hiked the Pinecrest to Waterhouse lake and back to Pinecrest via the south side of the river and passing the South Wallk Overlook.  This is certainly easier and faster than going down the down river.  It is recommended you use the blue route and the other trails to return back to Pinecrest.  Numerous better trails are now available to get one out of the area past Chair 5 of Dodge ridge and around the corner to come back into Pinecrest.

Update 2019 – I hiked this loop in 2019 in one day (red route shown above).  I think the red and the blue return route would be even faster.  There are now numerous trails out there to make this connection possible on the south side of the canyon.

---

Here are the general parts of the trail. This loop is an existing set of trail pieces all put together to make one large loop.

1. Pinecrest to Pinecrest peak – This well establish trail starts in Pinecrest and goes to the old Pinecrest Lookout location via a trail past Catfish lake and up to the Peak – About 5.5 miles one way.
2. Pinecrest Peak look out station to Waterhouse Lake Trail Head – This section simply uses the existing older logging road (1.5 miles)
3. Water house trail head to Waterhouse lake – This 2 mile section uses existing trail and poorly marked trailed options to take you to Waterhouse lake.
4. Waterhouse lake to bottom of Chair 5 – Dodge Ridge – This 3.7 mile is newly marked and follow many open granite areas of the river to drop you from Waterhouse to Chair 5
5. Chair 5 to Gooseberry Creek Rd – This 1.0 mile is steep, and dusy and up hill on a chair maintenance road that is gated at the top where it meets Gooseberry Rd.
6. (This section is now available with various trails that do not require you to climb up to the Gooseberry above the ski trail route.)
7. Gooseberry Rd and trails to Pinecrest – There are numerous trails that parallel Gooseberry and Dodge Ridge Rd and bring you all the back to Pinecrest – 5 miles

Options to 5 & 6

Instead of going up from the base of Chair 5 up the steep and dusty, exposed road, if you continue down the slick rock of granite at about the 7000′ contour you will be able to connect back to other trails that meet at the base of the gooseberry rd.

Here are some photos and maps to help you piece the parts together.