Frog Lake Backcountry Huts Update

A skier descending to Frog Lake. Photo by Bill Stevenson

While it’s hard to imagine during these warm fall days, TDLT and its fantastic crew of subcontractors are racing against the clock and the first storms of winter to complete our planned backcountry huts at the 7,600-foot Frog Lake.  Hopes of opening this winter now depends when first snow flies.

Rendering of the Eschenbach Stone House map room.

Improvements at the nearly 100-year-old Eschenbach Stone House, as well as infrastructure work in preparation for the installation of new modular sleeping huts designed by SageModern, are going full speed in anticipation of delivery and installation of the huts by mid-October.

A rendering of the sleeping huts.

The Frog Lake property is now open to the public.  While construction and renovation is underway, we ask you pardon our dust as we work and stay away from the work area. Visitors can use the new Blue Dot Trail, which will let you access Frog Lake without going through the construction zone.

The primary access to Frog Lake is via the PCT to the Donner Lake Rim Trail. Take the DLRT to the Warren Lake Trail, following it (with a stout uphill) to its intersection with the Red Dot Trail. The Red Dot Trail takes you (mostly downhill with a steep climb) to Frog Lake Rd. and the Blue Dot Trail, a few hundred yards to the west.  It’s about a 4- to 5-mile trek from I-80 depending on starting location.

Access to Frog Lake by trail, open today.

If the weather cooperates, look for a grand opening announcement in the coming months, along with a new web page to take overnight reservations at one of the new huts – the Albert M Rockwood Bunkhouse, Ted R. Hut and Morgan Family Hut. 

Thanks to Dan Goddard Construction and Alpenglow Engineering for all the hard work so far, and to Nevada County staff, who have been great to work with through the permitting process.

These huts, and the acquisition of Frog Lake, Red Mountain & Carpenter Ridge – nearly 3,000 acres of open space – wouldn’t have been possible without your support.