The lake was smaller than I imagined and it was crowded, every spot to sit by the water was taken. - The second way to get to the trailhead is to go south on Hwy 3 from I-90 towards St Marie’s to Reeds Creek Road. ... North Idaho Bitterroots. I swam and the water was warm-especially near the cliffs. If you’re afraid of heights- the view might bother you. keep in mind it was a Saturday. Share. You could live here your entire life and still never see them all. A lake that is only accessible by foot, which makes for … We got to the trailhead from the Rochatt Rd direction. Went there today with my 5 year old daughter and we had a blast. Ten miles from the trailhead, the road narrows to one lane. Coeur d'Alene, ID 83815. Coordination: N 42°39'38", W 114°38'51". It will become Rochet Creek/Divide Road. So on the description it says that kids 5 and older should be able to hike this, unless your 5 year old is a seasoned hiker I would not recommend bringing them. Bear left up a short steep climb. Eventually the trail forks where a tributary drainage comes in from the west. We drove up, but snow stopped us 8 miles to the trail head. This Exhilarating Hike Takes You To The Most Crystal Blue Lake In Idaho The beauty of Idaho lakes is one of our state’s best-kept secrets. This trail was absolutely beautiful all the way up and plenty of shade and photo opportunities. Cons: - narrow trail There were still lots of huckleberries, ripe, and still ripening. The well-marked trail summits just as the lake comes into view. The trail surface is natural dirt and rock at an elevation ranging from 5320-5440 feet. Much nicer and the dust is totally worth it. Float tubes allow anglers access to trout holding away from shoreline in the vegetation. Author Scott Marchant provides a wealth of information on 55 hikes in the area that covers everything from the kid-friendly 1.8 mile Meadow Marsh Loop in Ponderosa State Park … Continued Crystal Lake Trail ist ein 3.1 Meilen langer Hin- und Rückweg in der Nähe von Saint Regis, Montana. The Lake: The terrain varies; water, loose shale, giant rocks and the usual forest dirt and pine needles. Would definitely recommend a high clearance vehicle. Bear left and go 3.9 miles to Recreation Area sign. Going towards the lake, From here the trail turns west up the tributary drainage, eventually topping out on Crystal Summit road. However, there’s one lake that you’ll want to make it your own personal mission to see for yourself. This is a popular trail for hiking enthusiasts, but the remoteness of the area ensures that you'll probably have the place to yourself. Once the owners finally appeared they started throwing rocks in the water just a couple yards from us. The trailhead does have a bathroom. The lake was breath taking, we are suckers for mountain lakes. We went out the Cataldo side. This lake is located on the south end of the divide, between Cataldo and St. Maries. Also, the length of the trail is actual 4mi out and back, which I tracked it on my Fitbit. A network of nearby trails offers miles of hiking and provides access to fishing streams, remote meadows and peaks, and crystal clear lakes. The length and elevation gain wasn’t bad, but the trail itself seemed on the dangerous side. Our mountain lakes … I have the rare Toyota 4Runner without 4WD and didn’t have any problems. On July 22nd My husband, 10 month old, red heeler and I made our way up to the trailhead to camp. - creek was running so my dog had a - the rock slides really aren’t too bad, Getting to the lake is quite a drive though We came from the north off of the freeway. I would not recommend taking small children on this trail. In the Gospel Hump, many trails start off on roads that go along mountain spines and then drop into alpine lakes. This is a hard trail with lots of loose rock crossings. Another hike worth the effort is Crystal Lake on the lesser known Rochat Divide, not far east of 4 th of July Pass and Coeur d’Alene. There are two hiking trails to the lake but this is the most common and easier of the two. - not one mosquito Turn left on Rashad Road and travel 10 miles up to the trailhead. Crystal Lake. The lake is cold even in late summer but the brave can still manage a quick swim. This trail can be muddy in places as water flows over the trail in a few spots. Beautiful hike! They didn’t have any trouble, and once we got to the lake, it was well worth it! On the South end of the lake is a small peninsula great for camping away from day hikers. This is a 20 mile trek on a dusty, dirt road. Crystal Lake is a lake located just 9.4 miles from Saint Maries, in Benewah County, in the state of Idaho, United States, near Saint Joe, ID. Didn’t even make it to the trail. We started but did not finish. Primitive camping developments are located at the trailhead and undeveloped camping is allowed at the lake. So cold, but after our long trek it was refreshing, so worth it once you get there! It takes about 45 minutes to get to the trailhead from there, or a little over an hour to get up there from I-90. - I saw a family with a 2 and 5 year old- Too much snow on the road. The hike is 2-3 miles, but took about two hours, as a lot of it is up and down … Clear waters, good fish, some little campsites which looked nice for those backpacking in. Drive slow and take your time. The trailhead is about 7600 feet and the lake is at about 6300 feet. If you make only one purchase during your trip to McCall, we recommend it be “The Hiker’s Guide to McCall and Cascade.” This book is fabulous. Le sentier offre plusieurs activités et sa meilleure utilisation est de juin à octobre. This is the perfect place to escape reality for a little bit and bask in your own private corner of Idaho. Turn left onto Crystal Lake Road (dirt) and go 5.3 miles to a Y intersection. Scuba diving at crystal lake in the Niagara springs state park, Idaho. The very beginning, you are going down hill, then for the most part you are going up and down. Additionally, other things I did not particularly enjoy about this hike is that there is no trail that goes around the lake for being able to explore and that most of the camping sites are all right next to each other so no way to avoid other people if you are not the only campers there. It can be a difficult trail to travel due to traversing rough terrain. There were about 6 or 7 of us fishing, plenty of space. It can be steep in some areas. Le sentier longe un lac et sa difficulté est évaluée comme modérée. Located in the Idaho Panhandle National Forest, a land of dense forests, abundant wildlife and scenic mountains is Crystal Lake (5300 feet). The trail offers a number of activity options and is best used from June until October. Well worth it! The first 1.5 miles of the trail are a mild incline and moderate-to-highly trafficked. The drive is very narrow, but doable. Mount Coeur d'Alene via Caribou Ridge Trail, Caribou Ridge, Trail 258, and Trail 257 Loop, Lower Caribou Ridge to Beauty Creek Road Loop. We intended to be there for a couple hours to enjoy some fishing but unfortunately a couple large dogs, that were off leash, showed up and decided we were in a great spot for them to swim while waiting for their owners to appear. Beautiful! a few places to drink on the way The trail to Crystal Lake is a bit of a challenge, but worth it. This trail can be muddy in places as water flows over the trail in a few spots. The other thing you should know before going to this trail is that you are on a dirt road for about 10mi with some pretty bad washed out areas and rocks. You see, the hiking trail is between 3 and 4 miles to Moore’s lake and mostly downhill. it’s just after the shady forest grove - Duration: 11:14. Kids around 5 or older should be able to hike the trail with little to no assistance. There is no trail in this section. Dogs are also able to use this trail. Trail is still covered in snow. These incredible scenic areas are all within a short driving distance of each other and all have amazing Hiking opportunities. Excited to come back in a few weeks. Idaho gems can be found throughout the state, particularly in mining sites and stream beds. Thousand Springs State Park has several units to explore: Malad Gorge, Kelton Trail, Earl M. Hardy Box Canyon Springs Nature Preserve, Billingsley Creek, Ritter Island, Crystal Springs and Niagara Springs. We saw tons of trout from the shoreline. Overall the trail is fun with beautiful views and interesting terrain. Will return in July. lost at the same spot, too. I veered to the left Crystal Lake is a lake in Idaho and has an elevation of 8114 feet. There is a few steep parts that I would not recommended taking a low clearance vehicle. Wish we would have brought our fishing gear though! Dogs are also able to use this trail. some tough kiddos- but think it’s When you arrive at the trail above the lake, begin to directly ascend the slope above you to the saddle between Peak 10 and Crystal Peak. Idaho is known as the "Gem State" because it contains 72 different kinds of precious and semi-precious stones. It can be quite steep in some areas with loose rocks, so make sure of your footing if carting a heavy pack. time. The lake is beautiful but very buggy, definitely don’t forget your spray. October - Early Fall Kids around 5 or older should be able to hike the trail with little to no assistance. Helpful. The road to the trailhead can be difficult for 2WD vehicles. From Lewistown, take US Highway 87 north 8.7 miles to Forest Access sign (Crystal Lake Road). Hiking up Crystal Lake (Crag) Trail in Mammoth Lakes, California - Duration: 6:49. The Crystal Lake trail does a loop around the lake - do not follow this trail until its end. for ONE part. Getting into this mountain lake is … - OnX app tracked: 1.46 one way, 45 m. I do recommend wearing boots with strong ankle support. There was still snow on the road about 1 Mile before the trailhead. Across the road from the parking area the trail (unmarked) to Crystal Lake starts. but they are sharp and I was worried I took my son who is 7 because it sounded like this trail was relatively easy and with little elevation gain, but this is not the case. The only other location on the planet which has a greater variety of gems is Africa. Took 1.6 miles to get from trailhead to lake. Crystal Lake Trail is a 4.5 kilometer lightly trafficked out and back trail located near Saint Maries, Idaho that features a lake and is rated as moderate. On the South end of the lake is a small peninsula great for camping away from day hikers. Idaho Trails Coeur d'Alene, ID: Beehive Lake This 6.6-mile technical out-and-back follows the steep runoff of Beehive Creek 2,000 feet to the rocky shores of two alpine lakes in the proposed Selkirk Mountains Wilderness. Would highly recommend We did create some great memories that day, well most of us did. All in all, it’s a nice little trail if you want a place less travelled, but there are plenty of lakes closer by that are a little easier to get too, and are arguably more beautiful. I explored half the lake, from entry to the left, which had a trail wrapping near the waters edge. very steep terrain. Idaho… More Crystal Lake Trail is a 3.1 mile heavily trafficked out and back trail located near Mammoth Lakes, California that features a lake and is rated as moderate. At the trailhead there are multiple camp sites that are NOT pay to play and a portapotty, with no toilet paper, but didn’t smell. I took my 9 year old son and his friend. This was great until we started hiking back to the pickup. 395 Guide 4,422 views. Collaborative Action and Dispute Resolution. Crystal Lake from Mapcarta, the free map. Pretty little lake nestled in the mountains. The snow is still 1-4 ft deep in the shade and the lake is still frozen. The colors where only beginning to turn while we were there. The lake is set against the north face of Granite Mountain, an impressive 8,479-foot peak. Follow the trail to Upper Crystal Lake. If you started at the West Fork trailhead, take Chimney Creek (Birthday Trail) back. The views are incredible! The views driving up were absolutely beautiful and we saw moose. I’ve gone in both ways and both are great, you can’t go wrong either way. Small lake is fed by spring water. Length 2.8 miElevation gain 656 ftRoute type Out & back I use the term “road” loosely. Crystal Lake – Google Map Location Drive east from Coeur d’Alene on I-90 and take the Cataldo Exit. We did this hike on 8/15. Turn left at sign, continuing on Crystal Lake Road, and go 12.7 miles to campground. Here is the link to this hike https://youtu.be/ewAGLt7TSK4. The Drive: The lake was fantastic! Dogs are also able to use this trail. There are two hiking trails to the lake but this is the most common and easier of the two. Pete Zimowsky About four miles farther on Forest Road 444, keep a keen eye out for a hidden trail on the left that goes to Lower Gospel Lake. Others hikers, the same day, got with a little creek. We want to go again! When it says in the description the road condition may be difficult for 2wd, it should read more like “unless you have a couple feet of clearance under your car, don’t try to get there.” I drove almost 2 hours to get there and had to turn back 7 miles away because of parts of the road being washed out. Los Angeles, California 33 contributions 2 helpful votes. Will go again for sure! The trailhead was very easy to find and had a clean restroom, make sure to bring toilet paper. The trailhead is located approximately 54 miles southeast of Coeur d'Alene, Idaho. The dirt road up isn’t bad until about 6/7 miles away from the trailhead then it becomes a little rough in places, our F50 made it perfectly fine, just really bumpy. If you’ve been to an alpine lake before, you pretty much know what to expect here. - Head south from I-90 Exit 40 at Cataldo onto LeTour Road onto FR 613. The 3.400-square-foot center will consolidate access to the seven units of Thousand Springs – Malad Gorge, Kelton Trail, Billingsley Creek, Ritter Island, Crystal Springs, Niagara Springs, and the Box Canyon Springs Nature Preserve. Still to much snow to get to the trail head so just went as far as we could and got some miles in. You pass 7/8 shale rock slides and a creek. The lake is beautiful and very cold! -big mountaintop views, wildflowers Date of experience: September 2019. The trail offers a number of activity options and is best used from June until October. shade. The trail is primarily used for hiking, nature trips, bird watching, and fishing and is best used from June until November. The clear water gathers at the top of a valley where boulder strewn ridges coalesce together and keep the lake secret on all sides but one. Getting There : From ID 55 on the west side of McCall, turn right onto Warren Wagon Road and continue north for 21.7 miles. Out-and-back distance is 1.8 miles with 550 feet of gain. Large rock slides to walk through and rocks to clamber over. The trail is rocky and I tripped a few times, and returning to the trailhead was fairly steep. though. There are still remnants of historic mining activity. This trip documents a nice little backpacking trip, along a scenic trail to a high mountain lake. Interactive Map Change basemap, overlays and print Download KMZ For GPS, Phone or Google Earth. It is an old forest service road barely wide enough for our Jeep Wrangler. - good mix of steep and flat, sunny and This was a magnificent trail that is on the harder end of moderate. Not much unique about this one. 3815 N Schreiber Way Extremely beautiful views on the way there but we didn't make it to the trail head. The trail was challenging in parts, but overall very doable, there was one area we got a little lost because it totally looked like the trail continues one way but you’re supposed to go up the rocks instead, but we got back on track easy enough. It took me 45 minutes going 15 mph from Reed’s Creek to get up. It’s not a flat trail by any means. Although named Twin Lakes, it is actually one large body of water formed in a figure eight shape. The well-worn trail is very easy to follow. There are two ways to get to the trailhead. Turn left and travel east for 14 miles. Now to the hike.... we are 50ish and not very experienced but the description is not accurate. There can be snow here even in the first part of July so dress for colder conditions. You have to climb over multiple boulders that are incredibly slick. SharonSdG wrote a review Sep 2019. The trail is great! I would say it’s moderately challenging. Before arriving to this first lake, there is a fork. It is rocky in some areas. The first 2 to 3 miles is a beautiful ascent to the eastern face of North Pole mountain. Now that we know what to expect we are considering hiking in super early and securing the spot on the south side so we don’t have to deal with the traffic of the day hikers. You travel 25 miles east on US-90 and take exit 40 (Cataldo exit) then head south on Latour Cr./Rochat Divide Road for 29 miles. Crystal Lake Trail #299 in the Gospel Hump Wilderness is 6.8 miles from the Wildhorse Campground Trailhead to its junction with Hump Trail #313 on the south end of Hump Lake. Maybe we'll try again in July 2020. I went the route from St. Marie’s. To clarify Rochat Road and Reeds Gulch are the same road that starts at St. Maries, south of the trailhead. I did this on a Sunday, solo with a dog (32 female, average athletic shape) and felt comfortable. there were some cairns marking the Read more. 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