Name of Lake |
Courtright Reservoir |
Elevation |
8,200' |
Setting |
Courtright Reservoir is located
in one of the most superb geological areas of California.
Bare granite domes rise from the shores of Courthright
Reservoir and above the deep canyon cut by Helms Creek
located at the north end of the lake. Ice Age glaciers
sculpted the mountain peaks, slopes and valleys giving
them their unique present day shape. To the east Mt.
Goddard rises majestically to 13,568 feet in elevation. |
Directions
|
Courtright Resevoir is accessible
late May through November. Take Hwy 168 east from
Clovis towards Prather. Continue through Prather towards
Shaver Lake. Just before you reach Shaver Lake, turn
right on Dinkey Creek Road and travel 11.7 miles east
to the intersection of the Dinkey Creek Road and McKinley
Grove Roads. Turn right and travel 13.6 miles east
to the Courtright Reservoir turnoff. Turn left and
travel north 7.5 miles to Courtright Reservoir. |
Maps |
|
Camping |
PG&E operates and maintains
several campgrounds around the lake. On the west side,
you will find Trapper
Springs which provides single and double camp
sites. Marmot
Rock is located at the south end of the lake which
provides 14 walk-in campsites. Both campgrounds are
first come-first served, no reservations are accepted.
A fee is charged for overnight camping. On the east
side of the lake is Voyager
Rock which is a primitive campground accessible
only by boat or by high clearance Off-Highway Vehicle.
This campground has limited services. No fee is charged. |
Fishing |
Courtright is an ultimate destination
for avid anglers looking to hook up a German brown,
rainbow or Eastern Brook trout. The limit is 5 per day,
10 in possession. A public boat launching facility is
available at the south end of the lake, no fees or permits
are required. State
fishing regulations apply. |
Hiking and Equestrian Trails |
To the north and east of the Lake
are the Dinkey
Lakes and the John
Muir Wildernesses. The Cliff Lake Trailhead provides
access to the Dinkey Lakes and the Maxson Trailhead
provides access to the John Muir Wilderness and Kings
Canyon National Park. Wilderness
permits are required for overnight stay. Horseback
riding and guided pack services are available. |
OHV Trails |
At the Maxson Trailhead is the beginning
of the 31-mile Dusy-Ershim
off highway vehicle route. Driving time for the entire
route is 2 to 3 days. This route is recommended for
advanced drivers, and not recommended for full size
pickups, long wheel base vehicles or for traveling alone.
Campfire
permits are required for camping outside of designated
campgrounds. |
Services |
The nearest services are located
at Wishon Village
near Wishon Lake. Wishon Village has a store, phone,
and campground with full RV hookups. |
History of Courtright Lake |
Courtright Reservoir was built
in 1958 by Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E) as
a part of the Kings River Project that includes a
system of lakes, tunnels, steel penstocks and powerhouses
that divert water from the Kings River to produce
electricity. In 1984, the Helms Pumped Storage Powerhouse
was added which uses water flowing downhill from Courtright
to Wishon
Reservoir to produce electricity during peak demand
times. At night, water is then pumped back uphill
to Courtright to be used again during peak demand
times. The Helms Powerhouse is unique because it was
built in a chamber carved out of solid granite a thousand
feet underground at the north end of Wishon Lake. |
More Information |
Contact the High
Sierra Ranger Station at 559.855.5355 or during
the summer you can contact the Dinkey Creek Visitor
Information Station at 559.841.3404. |
Related Information |
Is
the water safe to drink?
Safe Food
Storage
Campgrounds
Picnic Areas
Pets in the
Sierra National Forest
Recreation
Report - get the latest info on which campgrounds,
roads and picnic areas are open!
Trip Planning
Leave No Trace |