Start at 12,500 feet and drop past hidden waterfalls into the Animas River Valley, where the Grenadier Peaks tower overhead. While quite cold, it felt amazing to cool off and soak our muscles a bit. Mystic Island Lake and Lake Charles via Ironedge Trail is a 12.3 mile lightly trafficked loop trail located near Eagle, Colorado that features a lake and is rated as difficult. We split off and headed towards Island Lake where we would spend the first night of our two-day backpacking trip. Probably don’t need to bring more than 2L on your hike up. Island Lake Campground, Colorado - Camping & Campgrounds Island Lake Campground is located at an elevation of 10,000 feet on Colorado's Grand Mesa, which is home to more than 300 fishing lakes, near the cities of Cedaredge and Delta. A slightly chillier night than we were expecting hit Island Lake but thankfully we weren’t too uncomfortable. However, if you can arrange a shuttle, hike to the Green River Lakes … Those 6 days in remote backcountry absolutely blew me away. As the sun began making its way behind the 13ers surrounding us, we headed back down for dinner, and to watch the sunset on the peaks to the east. If you decide to go, please practice Leave No Trace. Dogs are also able to use this trail but must be kept on leash. Sign up with your email address to receive occasional updates of new blog posts. Learn how to make your tent as warm as possible and what gear you need to bring. From the sign at the start of the trail, take the right unmarked fork for the most direct route. Low clouds covering Mount Price and the rest of the Crystal Range. To view my entire photography collection and purchase photos, click here. We had to backtrack a bit from the shore to cross the Twin Lake outlet, which most people seemed to have no trouble with. Island Lake is often hiked in combination with Ice Lake and Fuller Lake but due to its unique beauty it is also hiked by itself as a primary destination. As you can probably guess, the list of Colorado’s top multi-day hiking trails could go on a longer time than we got. Lake Isabelle is one of the best winter hikes in Colorado (add about five miles round trip for the winter hike). Island Lake is a 2.9 mile moderately trafficked out and back trail located near Salida, Colorado that features beautiful wild flowers and is rated as moderate. Distance: 12.1 miles Jackie, Juno and I hiked up to the Ice Lakes & Island Lake in late September 2018. At this point, you’ll likely be noticing the elevation as you’re at 11,400 feet. Rainier, Four amazing backpacking destinations to set you free, Trail Report: Cascade Pass and Sahale Arm in the North Cascades, This is not for everyone. Island Lake is located just north of Ice Lake in the San Juan National Forest near Silverton, Colorado. Less than 10 miles roundtrip, the Duck Lake is the perfect overnight backpacking trip to experience classic Sierra lakes and mountains. Once we reached the first falls, we followed the river downhill past several more small falls and pools. The two upper lakes are situated on thinly forested bench. USA. Our overnight excursion to the Twin Lakes was the perfect start to the season. Ice Lake has to be one of the most spectacular destinations for the hiker that wants an experience to remember. This trail starts at the very popular Twin Lakes trailhead by Wrights Lake. Basic Information for Thousand Island Lake: Obtain a wilderness permit – If you heading into the backcountry for more than a day hike, you must obtain a permit to camp. Parts of the Island Lake trail have been damaged by landslides, creating some exposed areas. Photo: Bryce Bradford. Island Lake surely got its name from the flat-topped rock that is visible whenever water levels ebb. There’s plenty of water in the upper basin. Until next time adventurers, take care and be safe. Note that the hiking trail to Ice Lake and Island Lake is not very well marked. Then you begin hard switchbacks as you’re already up over 10,000 feet. Learn how your comment data is processed. We started our hike at 7:30/7:45 on a weekday morning and there were only a few other cars there. The views up there were just as grand. The parking lot will definitely be full by 7 am on a weekend. June 15, 2020. Sunset on Trail Ridge Rd. The first push up into the lower basin, then the easy walk through the lower basin, and the final ascent into Ice Lake Basin. From the trailhead to Mystic Island Lake (11,306 feet): 2,160 feet of total elevation gain in 5.3 miles one way. Before dinner, we headed over to Ice Lake to watch the sunset and eat dinner by the lake. Sunset from Island Lake near Silverton, Colorado After visiting Ice Lake Basin in August of 2013, I knew that I had to return to the area to photograph the wildflowers there at peak season (mid-July). This hike is as gorgeous as everyone says. Twin and Island Lakes are in area zone #32 of Desolation Wilderness, which allows 20 campers to enter per day, reservable via Recreation.gov. Ice Lake Basin San Juan National Forest, Colorado Distance: 9.3 miles Traveled: Ice Lake Trailhead to Ice lake and Island Lake “A lake is a landscape’s most beautiful and expressive feature. I recently backpacked to the basin sitting at 12,300 feet in southwestern Colorado outside of Silverton and remembered why this is recognized as one of the most beautiful places in the west. The cold early season temperatures dropped quickly, and we were in bed by 9pm. The trail is primarily used for hiking, walking, nature trips, and fishing. If you do it as an overnight (recommended), set up camp near Upper Ice Lake in a cirque below five Thirteeners near mile 3.5, then continue .7 mile north to Island Lake (pictured) in the morning. Price. Once the trails merge about 0.6 miles in past the marsh, you’ll pass the unmarked turnoff to head north over some slab to the Enchanted Pools. We decided to continue on the main trail and take the cross country route to the pools on the way back. We are only a 20 km drive away from either George or Sedgefield & 47 km away from Knysna, with the village of Wilderness, a few minutes away, where restaurants, take a way's, supermarkets and pubs are to be … Start at Brainard Lake and make your way up the valley to Lake Isabelle where you’ll have views of the Isabelle Glacier – a permanent snowfield. Backpacking Island and Twin Lakes — Desolation Wilderness, CA, Four Days in Norway's Spectacular Western Fjords, 2020 Backpacking Permit Deadlines for California and More, Backpacking Fontanillis Lake to Dicks Peak — Desolation Wilderness, CA, Hike and Climb Eagle Lake Buttress — Desolation Wilderness, CA, Backpacking Lake Aloha to Mt. We saw a couple of hunters in the final mile of the hike; we were glad we were near Our views were stunning and were given an incredible sky show. There are lots of use trails criss crossing along the shore, and it wasn’t difficult to follow the rock stacks and stream of people back to the parking lot. It is a beautiful green lake with a rock island in the middle, which gives the lake its name. Click here to read more about the deadlines and application process for Desolation Wilderness backcountry permits. If you prefer a densely treed campsite, just head for the lower Island Lake is located at 10,866 ft. elevation (336 ft. lower). Mosquitoes are … Again, creek crossing shoes and poles may be helpful, especially early in the hiking season. provides countless hiking opportunities. This is for camping any time of year. The peace and quiet were so nice. Here you'll find blog posts about some of my favorite backpacking and travel adventures. We took our time waking up, making breakfast, and moving around. Stay warm. Day Two Backpacking Ice Lake Basin. Once turning north from Highway 50, you’ll be heading up the side of a mountain on a very windy road for about 30 minutes to get to the main lot. In the summer, this is one of the best and easiest lake hikes in Colorado. California, Backpacking, Trip Report. After crossing the stream, the marshlands here had some perfect rock steps that helped us navigate the overflowing ponds. The 7,000 acres of pristine wilderness at Island Lake near Fernie, B.C. It was too gusty and late in the day to attempt a day hike up to one of the peaks, but I imagine the view from that ridge would be incredible. The trail to the lake, if done in one day, is long and tiring with lots of ups and downs. Being camped on the northwest shore, the clouds cleared right before sunset to cast that perfect glow on Mount Price directly across from us. It’s maybe a mile from Ice Lake and has just a small elevation gain before getting to the lake. Island Lake is phenomenal. The 144-acre Island Lake is located 0.1 miles east of the campground on Forest Rt. Island Lake in the Wind River Range, Rocky Mountains, Wyoming, views from backpacking hiking trail to Titcomb Basin from Elkhart Park Trailhead going past Hobbs, Seneca, Upper and Lower Jean Lakes as well as Photographers point. The lake sits in a basin at the foot of Ulysses S. Grant Peak (13,767). With 35+ pounds on your back, and every step taking you higher and higher, it’s truly a spot for serious adventurers. Price — Desolation Wilderness, CA, How I Save Money on Camping and Hiking Gear, New Zealand South Island 10 Day Roadtrip Itinerary for the Outdoor Lover, Backpacking the High Sierra Trail in 6 Days, Backpacking Duck Lake Pass Trail — Mammoth, CA, Zebra Slot Canyon - Grand Staircase-Escalante NM, UT. Island Lake Holiday Resort is situated on the shores of the beautiful Island Lake in the spectacular Wilderness National Park, right in the heart of the famous and majestic Garden Route. Once we were dried, we headed up to Fuller Lake to check out the views and see more of the larger Ice Lake Basin. May the forest be with you! Visitors enjoy the area for its … From the Ice Lakes basin Trailhead, this 8 mile round trip trail with 3000 feet of elevation gain will bring you to the Ice Lakes Basin with an abundance of beautiful lakes, especially Island Lake and Ice Lake. The left fork that starts over a bridge eventually merges into the same trail, but this path takes a slightly longer route around the marsh. You’re embarking to a high elevation destination. The Thousand Island Loop Trail really is a perfect little sampler for backpacking the Sierras. Both of us were exhausted, yet quickly set up camp and made our way down to the water. Another mile later, we spotted the massive waterfall cascading down a cliff in the distance before we reached the shore of Twin Lakes. Words can not describe how gorgeous and pristine it On the way in, we passed lots of boulders with that classic Tahoe climb factor. The upper of the Enchanted Falls and Enchanted Pools. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Instead we wandered around the shoreline over ravines of snow and spent a good deal of the rest of the day being entertained by the plethora of friendly marmots scampering across meadows. And don’t forget to subscribe to the blog to get notified when new posts come out! When I visited in June, the Twin Lakes campground and the main parking lot at the trailhead both were still closed, so I had to park down at the Equestrian Camp, which added an extra 1.1 miles of hiking each way to get to the main trailhead. Island Lake and the peaks towering above Titcomb Basin This very popular backpack leads to Island Lake (10,346-ft.), a stunning destination with great day hiking, good fishing and scenic campsites. We stopped for lunch here on the south shore, which also seems to be the turn around point for most of the day hikers in the area. From there the trail loops around the basin and returns back to the main trail. Due to it being an Alpine Tundra zone, we made it a point to camp on dirt as to not hurt the environment too much. That’s what we did. After packing up, we headed down the trail back past Twin Lakes. From here, I went to Island Lake first. The hike is broken into three parts. This is 1.7 miles from the TH and about a 1,600-foot elevation gain. The trailhead parking and campground lot are also visible some 2,300 feet below. On the norther side of Twin Lakes on the way up to Island Lake. A much warmer night was enjoyed by both of us and the sunrise over the lake was simply wonderful. Once down, we were so happy with how the trip turned out. If you do the whole loop, you’ll continue on Lonesome Trail to King Lake, then Devil’s Thumb Pass, completing the journey in 11 miles. If you are feeling adventurous, you could even hike up to one of the three surrounding peaks. I can see why this hike is so popular - a five mile roundtrip hike to a remote, stunning alpine lake where you’ll still feel accomplished and break a sweat. Tagged: backpacking, trip report, Sierras, lakes, Desolation Wilderness, CA, I'm Alice, a weekend hiker and outdoor adventurer based out of the Bay Area in California. Today’s weather was perfect, and much warmer than yesterday, which would make for great conditions at Enchanted Pools. On the four-mile trail to the lakes, hikers pass several … So we packed up and headed to Ice Lake, less than three-quarters of a mile away. After doing mental gymnastics, we both went in. The trail now starts to gain some slight elevation while following along a small river, which is the Grouse Lake outlet. A classic loop from Elkart Park stretches for approximately 35 miles and uses the CDT to tie into a number of high altitude lakes including, Little Seneca Lake, Island Lake, and Summit Lake. Once we finally made it over the final hill, Island Lake said hi, and we looked for a nice place to camp. You can follow along the journey on Facebook and Instagram or shoot me any questions and comments about places to go. The next morning we woke early to still reflections on the lake except for the occasional ripple from small fish. Island Lake is one of many gorgeous lakes in the Uintas - it can be hard to choose which lake to visit. The mountains make crazy things happen, come prepared. Begin by hiking the Ice Lakes Trail for 3.5 miles, which will take you to Ice Lake. We are in good shape and are fairly experienced hikers, so we chose to do the trail up to Ice Lake, then went over to Island Lake (a little sketchy in one part), and looped back around and down. This is a great relatively leisurely trip to make early season, for beginners, or as a quick overnight into the backcountry. We then continued past Boomerang Lake to climb up and over one more ridge to get to Island Lake, our destination for the night. However, the lake was quickly swarmed … Along the way there is some evidence of old mining activity, including mine tailings. There was still snow by Island lake when we visited in August. An amazing 8.4 mile round trip hike will take you up the 2,552-ft. to Island Lake. Our San Juan National Forest hidden gem is Island Lake, which is one of four amazingly incandescent bodies of glacial water (Ice, Clear and Fuller lakes are the other three) that can be found in the Upper Ice Lake Basin near the town of Silverton. Island Lake lies just 0.5 miles and 250 vertical feet above the Upper Ice Lakes. The entire trail is well marked and easy to follow, even on the rock slab portions. We took our time waking up, making breakfast, and moving around. … The first part isn’t too bad at the beginning and you’re treated to waterfall views walking up. The first part is hiking amongst the trees to the lower basin, which is where you’ll find the split that takes you to Island Lake or Ice Lakes Basin proper. Once the trail started to diverge from the creek, we headed off trail cross country to try to find the Enchanted Pools. It’s only four miles up to Island Lake at the end of the trail, and there are also infinite opportunities to explore and scramble up to various peaks of the basin. Here are some of my favorite snacks, breakfasts, lunch, and dinner meal ideas for your next backcountry trip, Outdoor gear is not cheap, so here are a couple of tips I’ve found that have helped me save a little on gear, Here's our 10 day road trip itinerary along with things to do on New Zealand's south island to help you plan your trip. After adventuring through a mini canyon behind the lake, we started the three-mile trek down to the car. The Zebra Slot Canyon is one of my favorite hikes in the Grand Staircase-Escalante area. With it being close to 4:30 pm, we saw hardly a soul after arriving. Over the next mile, we gained over 1,100 feet and moved pretty slowly making. For more advanced hikers, you can also make this trip a semi loop by traveling cross country to the Enchanted Pools and various other small falls along the river. Evergreen Lake Trail Location: Dedisee Park, 0.4 miles west of Evergreen, CO Length: 1.4-mile loop; Difficulty Rating: Easy It is Earth’s eye; looking into which the beholder measures the depth of his own nature.” You'll need to cross the creek that drains Ice Lakes to reach the Island Lake trail spur. One of the few campgrounds in Grand Mesa National Forest not located on the lake, Island Lake Campground goers are instead privy to mature spruce, sweeping panoramas of the Grand Valley, and its many sparkling, light sabre sapphire blue lakes below. Aptly named, Island Lake is spotted with many little islands that I would have been open to wading to if the weather was more cooperative. The lake has a boat ramp, wheelchair accessible fishing pier and fish cleaning station. 1.5 miles in you’ll see the sign post for the Grouse Lake turn off to the right. This lake offers a quick backpacking trip, cliff jumping, swimming, fishing, & solitude in the summer months. The journey downhill wasn’t too steep, and the slab portions were quite easy going. Instead of camping on the close side with all the people, we walked counter-clockwise around the lake and found a great spot on a ledge overlooking the lake. A slightly chillier night than we were expecting hit Island Lake but thankfully we weren’t too uncomfortable. United States. Gear Review: Ultralight HydraPak Flux 1.5L Water Bottle, 5 of the Best Hikes in Sedona to do for ‘the gram’, Backpacking Ice Lake Basin in southwestern Colorado, View ExploreWithAlec’s profile on Facebook, Trail Report: An escape to High Rock Lookout, Don’t miss Reflection Lake when visiting Mt. This is a great relatively leisurely trip to make early season, for beginners, or as a quick overnight into the backcountry. The two of us decided that morning that we wanted a different view. With so many options to choose from, we turned to Hiking Project, REI’s digital trail guide and online hiking community, to find some of the best dog-friendly hikes in Colorado to get you started. It’s only four miles up to Island Lake at the end of the trail, and there are also infinite opportunities to explore and scramble up to various peaks of the basin. What to eat while backpacking? Soon the creek fanned out over the smooth rock in long cascades, and we spotted the first of the emerald pools. Alice Kao. After putting our finishing touches on our packs, we clipped our belts and began our trek backpacking Ice Lake Basin. At Ice Lake you'll see some of the bluest water around, and at Island Lake, one of the most unique lake formations in Colorado. We knew the parking would be a madhouse before Labor Day weekend so we hung back and waited for the morning hiking rush to begin trickling down and scored a spot in the parking lot right around 12:30 pm. I wouldn’t recommend this unless you have some trips under your belt, Prepare for the weather. Most people go to Ice Lakes…I don’t know why. Desolation Wilderness has been my favorite destination for backpacking lately since it’s so close to home, and there are so many spots and trails I still want to explore. My favorite part about backpacking - golden hour in the mountains. While we set up camp the clouds moved quickly through the basin, occasionally shrouding the peaks on the ridgeline. Just shy of 9 miles in exactly 5 hours and it was stunning! It allows you the chance to look down on Upper Ice Lake and Ice Lake. Dates: Jun 13 - Jun 14Miles: 6.6 roundtripElevation change: 1,370 ftTrail type: Out and backPermit: RequiredTrailhead: Google Maps. You can also split off as you get into the lower basin and take the mile uphill push to Island Lake. We moved slowly due to all of the people making their way up and adhering to hiking etiquette which gives the right of way to the uphill hiker. During our 3 day trip, we also hiked up to the summit of Mt. With no plans later that day, we took out time waking up and packing up. Colorado Trail: Stony Pass to Celebration Lake The very best section of the 483-mile Colorado Trail lies along this 40-mile San Juans stunner. We started to see more day hikers who had headed up from the parking lot. The colors seem surreal, a beautiful turquoise lake, surrounded by high peaks. After moving back to Colorado in November of 2015, I knew that one of my first destinations would be the Ice Lake Basin area. There are far fewer campsites up at Island Lake, but we managed to find one up a little higher on the northern shore. Backpacking Ice Lake Basin was truly a weekend we surely won’t forget. 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