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STUART FORK TRAILHEAD

TRIP 6 Stuart Fork to Alpine Lake

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Although it is at an elevation of only 6,112 feet, Alpine Lake possesses many of the characteristics that its name suggests.

Trip Type:

Backpack, 2–4 days

Distance & Configuration:

17.4-mile out-and-back (plus 4-mile cross-country trip to Smith and Morris Lakes)

Elevation Change:

3,800' (average 772'/mile)

Difficulty:

Moderate

Season:

Mid-July–late September

Maps:

USGS Rush Creek Lakes and Siligo Peak; USFS A Guide to the Trinity Alps Wilderness

Management:

Weaverville Ranger District, 530-623-2121, fs.usda.gov/stnf

Nearest Campground:

Bridge

Lovely, picturesque Alpine Lake covers the bottom of a glacier-carved slot on the ridge north of Little Granite Peak and west of the lower Stuart Fork Valley. Little sunshine reaches the bottom of the steep-walled basin, and snowfields may linger around the lake until the end of July, resulting in an ecosystem one might expect to see at much higher altitudes. Along with the dramatic vertical scenery around the lake, the main attractions include abundant marsh-oriented wildflowers in the verdant little valley just below the lake, and the opportunity to explore, off-trail, the high ridge leading north to secluded Smith and Morris Lakes immediately below rugged Sawtooth Mountain.