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.