Hidden & South Fork Lakes

  • Easy (to Hidden Lake)
  • 2.4 miles round-trip
  • 520 feet elevation gain
  • Open late June to mid-November
  • Use: hikers, horses


  • Difficult (to South Fork Lakes)
  • 6 miles round trip
  • 1250 feet elevation gain

Ice Age glaciers once scalloped the north side of every ridge in the Trinity Alps. Today if you climb into the resulting “hanging valleys” you’ll find a lake in each, filling the vanished glacier’s footprint. Two of the easiest hikes to these lakes begin at Carter Meadows Summit, where the Pacific Crest Trail crosses a paved road. Maximum group size is ten. If you plan to use a stove or campfire, be sure to get a free permit at www.preventwildfireca.org.

From Interstate 5, take …

This chapter taken from the book, 100 Hikes/Travel Guide: Southern Oregon & Northern California.