Grizzly Lake sits at the base of Thompson Peak in the Trinity AlpsIf you have considered hiking Grizzly lake with your family, you need to know several things up front. First, to get to Grizzly lake, you will need to drive quite a ways. The most common way to get there is to take I-5 north to just past Weed, CA. You will take the exit in Edgewood on Old HWY 99 and head north to Gazelle. Then you will drive west to Callahan (the road isn't marked well, just look for the only road heading west out of Gazelle). You will drive until the road merges onto HWY 3-go thru Callahan and take the first left hand turn past the bridge on Cecilville Rd.
Second, the drive to Grizzly lake trailhead is long. From Redding, CA It will take about 3 hours and 30 minutes. This in itself is enough to detour most families from doing this hike, however, the drive is absolutely beautiful and you will find it hard to believe you are in the same state. You will see giant Douglas Firs along the way as well as a variety of other trees we couldn't identify. We thought we saw some trees that looked like Redwoods, but I got an email stating otherwise. You will also see why the mountains are so appropriately name the "Alps." The third and final thing you need to know, before considering this hike, is that it is strenuous. Your first 1.5 miles of the hike are an ascent around 1500-2000 ft. Then you crest a ridge and come back down the other side. When you reach the valley, you start hiking back up a valley to Grizzly meadows which sit about 700 ft. below Grizzly lake. Alright, if the above descriptions haven't discouraged you, then you are set to see one of the prized gems of the Trinity Alps and California for that matter. You will be hiking amongst Sequoias and Redwoods as well as giant Pine trees. A fire in 2006 burned a lot of Douglas Firs and so you will have to hike around these trees that haven't been cleared out by CDF, however, the fire added a rugged beauty to the landscape. If your family loves to hike, we highly suggest Grizzly lake as a place to camp. Due to its remoteness, long drive, and strenuous hike, few people brave this trail. Chances are, your family will have the meadows all to themselves and at worst maybe 4-6 others. We suggest you hike to Grizzly meadows first (6.7 miles from the trailhead) and camp here the first night. The next day, if you are adventurous enough, you can scramble up to Grizzly lake and camp there. Grizzly lake is a beautiful lake to camp at and you will, again, probably have the lake to yourself. The lake will not actually be warm enough to swim in until August or September, since it is a snow fed lake and sits at 7100 ft. elevation. 
Things to consider: There are numerous bears in this area and you will need to pack all your food in either a bear canister or tie it in a tree. We have seen bear both times we have hiked this trail, so don't take this warning lightly-you will lose your food if you don't plan accordingly! You should also bring water filtration/treatment along, although we have drunk from the river without treatment and not gotten sick. Afterall, the water is direct snow runoff and has little opportunity for contamination. If you plan to hike up to Thompson Peak from Grizzly lake, you should drink your fill of water before leaving and fill your bottles also. It is about a 2.4 mile hike up to the peak and there is no water along the way, so ration accordingly.
I said it before, but I'll say it again: this hike is a strenuous hike, so take your time and don't rush. Take a good camera along the way and enjoy the beautiful scenery. You have a good chance of seeing a bear foraging for food, so keep your camera handy and be on the lookout. The pristine blues of Grizzly lake, make this lake one of the most beautiful alpine lakes we have ever hiked to. The 100 ft. waterfall coming out of Grizzly lake also makes this hike well worth it.
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You will stay on this road for about 40 minutes until you see Petersburg Rd. and a sign for China Springs Trail. Go left here. From here on you will follow the China Springs Trail signs up a gravel road for about 6-7 miles until it dead ends. Park here and start the hike.
