Manzanita Lake

Manzanita Lake is a small reservoir tucked into the Sierra National Forest about a mile and a half outside North Fork, roughly a 20-minute drive from Oakhurst on County Road 222. The 26-acre lake sits at 2,900 feet elevation and stays quiet even on busy Yosemite-area weekends — it's the kind of spot locals use for an easy family outing rather than a marquee stop.

The Trail

The Manzanita Lake Trail follows a semi-paved maintenance road that parallels an old water flume along the lakeshore. It's an easy out-and-back, roughly 2.1 miles round trip with about 130 feet of elevation gain — flat enough for kids or a slow evening walk, and you're unlikely to share it with a crowd.

Fishing and Wildlife

• Stocked with rainbow trout, plus resident largemouth bass and bluegill
• Average depth is only about 6.5 feet, so it fishes better from the bank or a small boat than it works as a swimming hole
• Shoreline birding regulars include osprey, red-tailed hawks, acorn woodpeckers, and red-winged blackbirds

Pack a rod and a picnic rather than a swimsuit — this is a low-key fishing-and-walking stop on the way to or from the park, not a beach day.