This popular three-mile trail (each way) is most often hiked from a trailhead near the Silver Lake spillway, but it can also be accessed from the easier-to-find trailhead at Plasse’s Resort, a privately owned campground also on Silver Lake. At 7,300 feet in elevation, Silver Lake is a deep blue jewel surrounded by granite boulders that make for great photo stops.

The first quarter mile from the Silver Lake trailhead is a rocky extension of the lakeshore. Where the path forks, take the left leg up to Granite Lake, which in late summer gets warm enough for sweating humans and panting dogs to take a dip in—a real relief on a hot day. The water is cold but refreshing after the hike.

Go back to the junction and hike south just above the lakeshore for about an hour to reach Plasse’s, where you can stock up on refreshments at the campground store in summer. Before you get there, take the left fork along the trail for a side trip to Hidden Lake, another granite-bound jewel that’s worth the detour. This is a moderately easy hike with less than 1,000 feet of elevation gain overall, so it works well for dogs with decent conditioning but not extreme fitness.

To reach the spillway trailhead, turn south off Highway 88 at the north end of Silver Lake near the kit Carson Lodge sign. The road is very narrow and heavily traveled, so use caution. Where the road forks, go left. Trailhead parking is at the end, about 1.4 miles from the highway.

For the Plasse’s trailhead, take Highway 50 east from Sacramento about 55 miles to Exit 60 for Sly Park Road. Go right on Sly Park Road for 4.6 miles to Mormon Emigrant Trail (closed in winter), then 24.6 miles to Highway 88. Turn left and drive 2.1 miles to Plasse Road, turning right. The destination is a mile down the road. Either approach gets you to granite-studded scenery and water access that makes this hike memorable for both of you.