Mt. Ingalls

Overview

Located deep within the Plumas National Forest, the unassuming summit of Mt. Ingalls offers some surprisingly good vistas. As an added bonus, and the most likely reason to hike this peak, it also happens to be the highpoint of Plumas County. The peak is surrounded by miles of lush forest and was at one point in time, home to a Forest Service fire lookout. All that is left of the lookout today is the foundation. Years ago, the lookout was decommissioned, removed from the summit intact and placed within a museum in nearby Portola.

Today, as you may guess, visitors are few and far between and are generally county highpointers, snowmobilers and OHV enthusiasts. Each come for his or her own reason, but all are treated to pleasant views from the summit, including Lake Davis to the southeast, Sierra Buttes to the south, Lassen Peak to the north and the Genesee Valley to the northwest.

The Plumas National Forest has been heavily logged over the years, but is still inviting and pleasant to visit. As a result of the logging activity, there are numerous logging roads in the vicinity. As a matter of fact, the most difficult part of hiking this peak is actually getting to the trailhead. Of the multiple roads available to follow, each requires traveling a minimum of 8 miles off-road. Passenger cars can handle the roads but high clearance vehicles will make the trip more pleasant.

The climb itself is a very straight forward hike along one of these logging roads. Most choose to park at a four way intersection where a forest service sign (almost illegible these days) points to Mt. Ingalls. It is at this point the road becomes steep, narrow and very rocky. Roundtrip, the hike is only a little over 2 miles with about 525 feet of elevation gain.

Getting There

As noted above, getting to the trailhead is half the battle on this peak. The roads are generally in quite good shape and intersections are reasonable well signed (suprising for the remoteness).

There are at least two routes one can take to reach the trailhead. Both begin near Lake Davis. To reach Lake Davis:

From Truckee

Take Hwy 89 north to Graeagle / Blairsden. Just past Blairsden, turn right on Hwy 70 and travel to Portola. In Portola, take West Street north (signed for Lake Davis). Follow this road, passing over the Lake Davis dam until you reach the intersection of Beckwourth-Greenville Road. Turn left.

From Reno

Take Hwy 395 north until you reach Hwy 70. Turn left (west) and head towards Portola. Prior to reaching Portola, take a right turn on Grizzly Road, toward Lake Davis. Follow this road until you reach Lake Davis.

To the Trailhead

Both of the above directions lead to the Beckwourth-Greenville Road that runs along the east shore of Lake Davis. Continue on this road for approximately 6 miles. The pavement ends as the road reaches the north shore of the lake.

Route 1

After six miles on the Beckwourth-Greenville Road, turn right on FS 25N10 (on Topo!, the road turns at elevation marker 5792). At 1.25 miles, veer right. Pass through an intersection at 2.10 miles, keeping right. Continue on FS 25N10, passing through another 4-way intersection. At 5.2 miles (on Topo!, noted at elevation marker 6573), turn left at a 3-way intersection. At 6.7 miles, turn left, and at 7.58 miles, turn right. Continue on until mile 8.2 to a 4-way junction signed for Mt. Ingalls 1 Mile.

Route 2

Route two is somewhat easier to follow as it is signed for Mt. Ingalls. It is, however, much longer. The route passes by several old mines are ruins.

From the 6 mile mark noted above, continue straight on the Beckwourth-Greenville Road, following signs to the summit. This route covers an additional 15.3 miles from the Route 1 turnoff.

From the parking area, head up the logging road to the summit. You can't miss it.

Red Tape

None to speak of for dayhikes. If you want to camp in the area, a campfire permit is required for all open flames. One can be obtained at a Forest Service Office located:

Beckwourth Ranger District
Mohawk Road
PO Box 7
Blairsden, CA 96103
Tel: (530) 836-2575

Camping

The following campgrounds are available at Lake Davis. See the Forest Service website for more information.

Grasshopper Flat Campground
Elev. 5,800'
70 units
Reservations: first come - first serve
$18 Site Fee
Services: Water, Flush Toilets

Grizzly Campground
Elev. 5,800'
55 units
Reservations: first come - first serve
$18 Site Fee
Services: Water, Flush Toilets
Trailer Dump Station- $6 fee

Lightning Tree Campground
Elev. 5,800'
40 units (19 family, 21 double)
$18 / $36
Services: Water, Vault Toilets

Etymology

Mt. Ingalls
"was named for the Ingalls family, from New York State, which settled in the Genesee Valley before 1870."
Erwin G. Gudde, California Place Names

Plumas County
"The Feather River was known as the Rio de las Plumas in Mexican times and appears with this name on American Maps as late as 1852 (Gibbes). When Plumas County was formed from a portion of Butte Co. on Mar. 18, 1854, the old name was revived..."
Erwin G. Gudde, California Place Names

Images

View Mt. Ingalls Image Gallery - 12 Images