Virginia Lakes Resort Hiking Information

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Virginia Lakes Resort
HC 62 BOX 1065
BRIDGEPORT CA
93517-9602

(760) 937-0635

Hiking Information

PRACTICAL HIKING INFORMATION

Being prepared, without bringing everything you own, is a trick. Obviously, items that you would bring for overnight will not be the same as for day hikes, and we will focus on just day hiking necessities.

1.    Day pack
2.    Trail map
3.    APP (all purpose paper) is toilet paper
4.    Sunglasses
5.    Water or water purification system
6.    Lunch or snacks (take plenty of snacks)
7.    Bug repellent
8.    Camera
9.    Hiking boots & socks
10. Sunblock
11. Rainwear, if cloudy
12. Chapstick

EXCREMENT and URINE
Improperly disposed waste contaminates water and spreads disease (hepatitis, guardia, typhoid) in both wildlife and humans. Most trail diseases come from water contaminated by feces, urine or both. Packing it out is obviously distasteful, so here are three simple rules in order to minimize impact:

Make sure no one will find it. Dig a hole not more than eight inches deep (it's the bacteria in the upper layer that decompose the feces).
Keep it at least 100 feet (200 is better) downhill from water sources.
Take advantage of biodegradation by digging separate holes for each instance so that the underlying organisms can do their thing.

PERMITS REQUIRED FOR BACKPACKING

All overnight trips into the Hoover Wilderness and the additional 72,000 acres of pristine National Forest lands require a wilderness permit. During the quota period from the last Friday in June through September 15, you can obtain a permit at the Bridgeport Ranger Station during business hours or by mail. Forest Service must receive your requests postmarked by March 1, three weeks before the first day of your trip. Due to volume of mail, a response may take up to five weeks. Enclose $3 per person with your application request.

You can help protect your food from a bear by hanging your food from a tree, and if done properly, you will earn a good night's sleep. First, understand one thing, nothing is bear-proof as well as a food storage container. Always place food storage containers on a flat, open area away from cliffs, lakes and streams to avoid other natural disasters.