A word about the fishing, because you're driving through some of the most storied trout water in California, and the loop takes it seriously in a way that's easy to miss from the road.
All four lakes hold fish — rainbows and browns in all of them, and the lakes get stocked generously through the season, including with genuinely large trout; fish in the five-to-ten-pound class come out of these waters every single summer, and the photos go up in the general store like hunting trophies.
Each lake has its own personality. June is the family lake — boats, beaches, easy access. Gull is the locals' lake, small and generous. Silver splits the difference and adds the prettiest backdrop. And Grant, the big reservoir, is the dark horse: less pretty, less crowded, and the place serious anglers go when they want a brown trout with shoulders.
Season runs from the last Saturday in April through mid-November, licenses are sold right in the village, and the marinas rent everything including advice. Even if you've never held a rod: stop and watch the cleaning station at any marina around five in the afternoon. The stories are free.
Photo: Department of the Interior. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. National Conservation Training Center. 10/1997-8888 · Public domain