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So, we drove to the Iron Creek trailhead and set out for Sawtooth Lake (about 8.5 miles, 1700′). Recreational pursuits include outdoor activities like camping, hiking, backpacking, fishing, boating and canoeing, rafting, observing nature, photography and bicycling. There are relatively flat trails, and there are very steep trails, so choose the one that best suits you. From the trailhead at 4,700 feet, take trail 431 past the Crater Lake trail and past the Martin Creek trail at 2.0 miles and continue on. It is a 10-mile easy round trip on a nice path to walk from one end of Redfish lake to the other. Iron Creek to Sawtooth Lake (Sawtooth National Forest – Stanley) Distance: 8.5 miles out and back Difficulty: Moderate (with a strenuous last push into the peaks) Talk about views! Goat Lake: trail is mostly melted out except for a few snow patches as you approach the lake. That's Mount Reagan rising from the south end of the lake to just over 10,100 feet. Sawtooth Lake Trail On the map, the parking lot was at “Iron Creek Trailhead”, named after the creek flowing next to it. Sawtooth Lake is an alpine lake in Custer County, Idaho, United States, located high in the Sawtooth Mountains in the Sawtooth National Recreation Area.The lake is approximately 6.8 miles (10.9 km) southwest of Stanley.A trail from the Iron Creek trailhead and campground leads approximately 5 miles to Sawtooth Lake. The trail climbs steadily from the parking area through lodgepole pine forest in granite-boulder terrain. The trail gradually steepens as you climb up onto the ridge, passing through gorgeous wildflower fields and aspen groves. Sawtooth Lake Sawtooth National Recreation Area, Idaho The Sawtooth National Recreation Area, located in the heart of Idaho, is home to majestic landscapes—nearly 1000 miles of rivers and streams, 40 peaks towering over 10,000 feet, and over 1100 lakes. Above 8000′, expect to begin encountering snow patches, especially in shady areas. For Monday, we figured we should see the Sawtooths’ namesake lake. Sitting on the western edge of the Sawtooth Mountains, the Alice Lake – Toxaway Lake Loop is a gorgeous backpacking trail that will constantly leave you in awe. Sawtooth Lake. I took the trail along the north end of the lake to the pass between Sawtooth Lake and the McGown Lakes. Deep lake beds prevent the water from freezing all the way through and most fish populations survive the winter months unscathed. These lakes are unnamed, but we found a good spot to eat lunch and enjoy the views and solitude. Mount Regan and Sawtooth Lake; Higher view of Sawtooth Lake and Mount Regan; We continued beyond Sawtooth lake on Trail 478 about 0.8 miles to explore a small set of lakes. This hike is popular because of the … To access the trailhead, drive 17.7 miles from Stanley on Highway 75, and turn right Pettit Lake Road (gravel). Wilderness Regulations. The following is a good list of suggestions to help you find your perfect alpine lake. Tin Cup trailhead, which is an entrance to the Alice Toxaway Loop is located at Pettit Lake. The hike to Sawtooth Lake is a five-mile trek suitable for most hikers and boasts breathtaking views of alpine lakes and towering mountains You’ll want to bring your camera along for this hike, as you’ll traverse up 1,700 feet in elevation until you reach the largest alpine lake in the Sawtooth Mountains. Steeper areas employ switchbacks, but the grade is strenuous in some spots. Take the Fishhook Creek Trail (Trail 186) for about a half-mile, until you see the sign for Marshall Lake, and follow this trail to the right. Chadd Cripe ccripe@idahostatesman.com Even in summer, light snows often accent the crags and their slopes above the treeline. This was a great hike with gorgeous views, just be sure not to miss the trail turnoff where the arrow has come off the sign - keep left on the trail to head to Sawtooth Lake (branching right will take you miles out of the way towards Stanley Lake) The trail follows Petit Creek for 5.5 miles from the trailhead to Alice Lake and the elevation gain is gradual — about 1,600 feet total along this section. The water is clear, the forest is thick, and the wildflowers are fully in bloom! Most of the high passes are still snowed in. The trail is primarily used for hiking, walking, nature trips, and bird watching and is best used from July until September. If we had continued down this path, we would have eventually ended up at Foggy Dew Campground which … Contact Us. The trail is well signed the … Follow road 1.5 miles to a four-way intersection. Looking back on Sawtooth Lake; Unnamed Lake 8271; Unnamed blue lake… We took a wrong turn and accidentally continued south from Cooney Lake. This 10-mile trek begins at the Iron Creek Trailhead and is only a 12-minute drive from your Triangle C Cabins rental. Approaching a fishing trip to the Sawtooths demands preparation. It captures a little bit of everything, and it’s an easy 5.5-mile … Hikers can enjoy the views of the Sawtooth Valley and Mount Regan at 3,110 m (10,190 feet). Along here, you can access the trail to Edna Lake and beyond. After that, your trail ends until Sawtooth Lake. Directions & Details: The Sawtooth Lake hike starts from the same trailhead as that of Goat Lake, Iron Creek Trailhead. This trail leads high into jagged granite peaks where Sawtooth Lake is cradled in a basin below McGowan Peak. Enjoy sweeping vistas of the valley and the Sawtooth wilderness. Previous trail reports cover condition fairly well. A sign indicates "Pettit Lake". For Fishing: Redfish Lake Trail. While way more “thawed out” than Goat Lake and Sawtooth Lake, it is hard to top the views at Redfish Lake. Sawtooth Lake is relatively large as alpine lakes tend to run. The Sawtooth Range is a stunning portion of Idaho's Rocky Mountains with 57 peaks and 400 alpine lakes to explore. Alice Lake, sitting under the watchful eye of El Capitan, is utterly breathtaking. Just note that (at least for our group), the junction at Cooney Lake was a little confusing. Very photogenic Sawtooth Lake is one of the most-visited corners of the Sawtooths; expect to see other hikers here on nice summer weekends and to compete for campsites with backpackers. Everything You Need to Know About Hiking Sawtooth Lake Iron Creek to Sawtooth Lake Trail Details. The last 2 miles get steep. There is a great viewpoint there. Miles: 10 round trip Difficulty: Difficult Directions: If you can choose only one hike to do in the region, this is one the one. The first part of the trail was relatively flat, before reaching a creek. The 10-mile round trip hike grants beautiful views of the incredible alpine lake and surrounding wilderness area. This trail is actually longer than Goat Lake but the trail grade is much less steep. Once at the end, I dipped back down to the shore, crossed, and found a decent scramble up in to the snowy valley. After leaving Alpine Lake, hiking to Sawtooth Lake is more strenuous because the trail climbs at a faster pace. The hike to Sawtooth Lake isn’t technical, but it does include several steep climbs. From the lake, the trail splits off in three different directions. The subtle saddle to the south of Sawtooth Lake drops into the North Fork of Baron Creek. Sawtooth Lake is also a popular backpacking circuit and this makes the trail well trafficked. Sawtooth Lake was still partially frozen as of July 1st – see photo below. From Toxaway we continued on to Farley Lake. The trail at Sawtooth Lake splits and continues over two separate divides. After following the creek with some distant views toward the trees, the trail … Most of the trail lies within the Sawtooth … At 5.8 miles, you can go right to upper Eagle Lake or shortly after that, left to Eagle (7 miles from the trailhead). We were happy to hike it during a shoulder month to enjoy it in solitude. That valley leads up to the extremely scenic Lake … Alturas Lake and Pettit Lake Areas Alturas Lake is the southernmost of the Sawtooth NRA's big lakes. Alpine Lake to Sawtooth Lake. Best to backpack in to soak up all … Sawtooth Lake. This trail climbs 520 m (1,710 ft) and takes about six hours out and back. Sawtooth Lake can be reached by an 8-km (5-mi) trail that starts from the Iron Creek trailhead just off the Sawtooth National Forest Road 619. Sawtooth Lake is one of the best day hikes in the Sawtooth Mountains. From the upper miles of the trail … You'll find it nestled in a bare, rocky bowl at the base of Mt Regan. You’ll hike through forest interspersed with open meadows with views of the jagged spires rising above the valley that are characteristic of the Sawtooth Range. Dogs are also able to use this trail. The hike starts out hiking through a new growth forest recovering from the Hidden Lake Fire in 2003. Truckee Trails Foundation PO Box 1751 Truckee, CA 96160 W501(C)3 Tax ID 01-0601303 In fact, this area of the Sawtooth Mountains absolutely took our breath away. The Sawtooth NRA has over 700 miles of trails, 40 peaks rising over 10,000 feet and 300-plus high-elevation alpine lakes that add to the spectacular scenery and vistas. The last 5km of forest road to the trailhead was unpaved and heavily washboarded, still in better shape than the one to Hyndman Peak trailhead though. The Sawtooth Wilderness offers over 700 miles of hiking trails, with opportunities for camping, hiking, biking, trail running, and wildlife watching.We've searched high and low for the best hikes in the Sawtooth Mountains, and we've found the best trails for the ideal Sawtooth … Sawtooth Lake in the southern Pioneer Mountains is a popular summertime hike. 1. Toxaway Lake is almost 1 mile in length and one of the largest in the Sawtooth Wilderness. There are campsites along the lake, follow a side trail to find one. From there, the loop trail links up with the “bench lakes” on that northern slope. It is roughly a mile from Alpine Lake to Sawtooth Lake, and the elevation gain is close to 600 feet. Start at the Crater Creek trailhead heading for Boiling Lake. Most of the trail to Sawtooth Lake is a pleasant walk with a small uphill grade. Rumor has it there are also Brook Trout in the lake. I’m so glad that our first introduction to the Sawtooth Range was the Alice Lake area, because it is hands-down one of the most beautiful trails I’ve ever been on (and I’ve been on a LOT of beautiful trails). The western trail traverses to a divide with Stanley Lake Creek and drops onto the McGown Lakes. Finding Your Sawtooth Wilderness Lake. At 8,430 feet, it’s about 8.5 miles round-trip and 1,700 vertical feet from the Iron Creek Trailhead.The trail … Get to the most southerly end of Goat Lake–I found hopping up on to the ridge east of the lake easier than following the shoreline. 5. Photo courtesy of Idaho Tourism 2. Sawtooth Lake rests in a cirque surrounded by Goat, Highboy, and Sawtooth Mountains. It’s one of the most popular treks in our area and has a moderately difficult trail rating. Sawtooth Lake. Many people will walk a portion of the loop trail and then peel off on one of the spurs to climb deeper into the hills above the lake. 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