SAWTOOTH

ALICE & TOXAWAY LOOP HIKE

JULY 2016

ALICE LAKE

ALICE LAKE TRAIL

FARLEY LAKE

POND ABOVE TOXAWAY LAKE

POND BELOW ALICE LAKE

POND BELOW TOXAWAY LAKE

TOXAWAY LAKE

TWIN LAKES

The Alice & Toxaway Lake Loop Hike is an incredible 19-mile walk in the Sawtooth Mountains that will take you past several beautiful lakes. It is typically done as a 2 to 3 day backpacking trip, but I chose to day hike it when I visited in July of 2016 to save time and avoid carrying a backpack around with me. This hike really exceeded my expectations. Because I was there in July, there was a lot of greenery and snow to make everything look extra nice. Also, because it was July, there were some mosquitos at Alice and Toxaway Lakes, but they didn't really bother me, as I was passing through the area fairly quickly (another benefit of not backpacking).

In addition to the lakes themselves, there are a lot of beautiful ponds located along the trail. Some of my favorite spots were the pond just below Alice Lake, and the ponds just above and below Toxaway Lake. I also really enjoyed the side trail to the Twin Lakes between Alice and Toxaway Lakes.

SAWTOOTH LAKE

JULY 2014 & OCTOBER 2021

SAWTOOTH LAKE

POND BELOW SAWTOOTH LAKE

NEAR THE OUTLET TO SAWTOOTH LAKE

SAWTOOTH LAKE

ALPINE LAKE

PASS SOUTH OF SAWTOOTH LAKE

SOUTH END OF SAWTOOTH LAKE

Sawtooth Lake is a classic 9-mile round-trip hike to one of the most iconic lakes within the Sawtooth Mountains. This was my very first trip into the Sawtooth Mountains after moving to Boise the previous winter and it definitely inspired me to keep coming back. This is one of the most popular hikes in the Sawtooth, so if you hike it on a Sunday in July like I did, expect to see a lot of other people along the trail. There is a spur trail to Alpine Lake along the way which I regret not taking, so I may have to come back some time.

One thing that stuck out to me was the lack of mosquitos. I didn't see one on my hike. I always avoided hiking the Uinta Mountains in Utah during July due to the amount of mosquitos that are active during that time. But for whatever reason, the Sawtooth Mountains have a lot fewer, making it possible for you to start hiking them as soon as the snow melts.

In October of 2021 I returned to Sawtooth Lake for a two-night backpacking trip. We decided to set up camp at Alpine Lake, as it was less crowded than Sawtooth, and because it only required a four-mile hike and avoided the steepest part of the trail just below Sawtooth Lake. There was only one other group of people at Alpine Lake our first night, and on the second night we had the entire lake to ourselves. However, being October, it got very cold at night. There were a surprising number of day hikers going up and down the trail to Sawtooth Lake, but very few backpackers. On the second day we hiked up to Sawtooth Lake and climbed the ridge to the east to visit the McGown Lakes. This area wasn't the prettiest, as it was still fairly burned out from a forest fire, and the lakes were a bit low with it being October. We then dropped back down to Sawtooth Lake and followed the trail north of Sawtooth for a mile or so to visit the lakes in that area. As with the McGown Lakes, this area would be a prettier earlier in the year when more water is running and the lakes are fuller.

SADDLEBACK LAKES

SEPTEMBER 2018

ELEPHANTS PERCH ABOVE MIDDLE SADDLEBACK LAKE

ELEPHANTS PERCH ABOVE LOWER SADDLEBACK LAKE

MIDDLE SADDLEBACK LAKE

The Saddleback Lakes are a scenic seven-mile round-trip hike from the end of Redfish Lake. To make it a seven mile hike you will need to take the shuttle boat across Redfish Lake, which was $17 when I hiked this trail in 2018. Without the shuttle, its a much longer hike. From the end of Redfish Lake the the trail follows along Redfish Lake Creek. Eventually you will need to leave the main trail and cross the creek to make it up to the Saddleback Lakes. There is no sign, so watch or map or GPS. You can also keep a look out for Elephants Perch, as it is a pretty distinctive rock formation adjacent to the lakes.

A little while before reaching Elephants Perch, the main trail will take you over to the creek at a section that looks like a water slide. While I was here, there were some logs laid across the creek to help you cross. There is no sign, but this is the best place to leave the main trail. After crossing the creek, you will find a trail that will take you all the way to the lakes. It is not an official Forest Service Trail, so there is no signage, but it is actually pretty well-used and easy to follow. From here the trail rises steeply up to the lakes which are well worth the effort.

HELL ROARING LAKE

JULY 2018 & JUNE 2020

UPPER HELL ROARING LAKE

LUCILLE LAKE

WATERFALL BELOW LUCILLE LAKE

BELOW LUCILLE LAKE

LUCILLE LAKE

POND BELOW LUCILLE LAKE

OUTLET TO LUCILLE LAKE

HELL ROARING LAKE

IMOGENE LAKE

POND ABOVE IMOGENE

WATERFALL ABOVE IMOGENE

OUTLET TO A LAKE ABOVE IMOGENE

LAKE ABOVE IMOGENE

Hell Roaring Lake is a relatively flat eleven-mile round-trip hike in the Sawtooth Mountains. The trailhead is located just ten minutes south of the turn-off for Redfish Lake just off State Highway 75. If you have a high-clearance vehicle, you can actually shorten the hike to five-and-a-half mile round-trip hike by driving a couple miles further up the road to a second trailhead. I decided to play it safe and park at the lower trailhead.

I was surprised how flat the walk to Hell Roaring Lake was. I was also surprised at how warm it was as the lake is located at a relatively low elevation, and there were no clouds or wind to cool things off the day I was hiking. Due to its low elevation, this one of the first hikes to become clear of snow in the Sawtooth each year. As I was there in July, there were also mosquitoes. There weren't a whole lot, and they didn't bother me too much as I was only day-hiking. However, because I forgot to bring repellent, I ended up with about twenty bites by the time I was done.

Hell Roaring Lake is a beautiful lake with the famous Finger of Fate rock spire above it. From Hell Roaring Lake, I continued another three miles to Imogene Lake. About a half-mile before Imogene you will pass by a pond covered with lily pads on your left, and then an unusually-shaped lake on your right that is worth getting a closer look at as the majority of the lake is hidden from the trail. You will then pass by a waterfall just before reaching Imogene. The view as you arrive at Imogene is amazing. Imogene is a very large lake containing several islands and an impressive backdrop.

Still having some energy, I decided to walk around to the back of Imogene and follow its inlet another mile or so to three more lakes. There is no trail, so just follow the inlet. You will pass two nice waterfalls along the way. These lakes are located one after another in a peaceful basin. By the time I reached the third one, I had hiked roughly nine miles and was ready to head back.

I hiked Hell Roaring Lake again in late June 2020, as I was interested in visiting the lakes and ponds located off the main trail that I had missed the first time. Once arriving at Hell Roaring, I hiked around the lake and followed an inlet to Upper Hell Roaring Lake. It took a lot of effort, and a difficult stream crossing to get there, but was definitely worth it. From Upper Hell Roaring, I decided to just cut cross-country to the Lucille Lake area. This took some effort as well, and quite a bit of elevation change, but eventually I came to the main creek draining the Lucille Lake basin and just followed it to the top.

The hiking became much easier once I reached the creek. It was really pleasant just walking along side it and seeing all of the various waterfalls and ponds. I eventually made it up to Lucille Lake, which was still half-way covered in ice, before returning back to the trail. While there were a lot of people camped at Hell Roaring, I didn't see anyone on my off-trail journey to Upper Hell Roaring and Lucille. Even when you're hiking during a summer weekend in the Sawtooth, it's possible to get some solitude by getting an early start and heading off-trail.

FEATHER LAKES

SEPTEMBER 2018

FEATHER LAKES

WARBONNET LAKE

BARON LAKE FROM ABOVE

ABOVE ALPINE LAKE

ON THE RIDGE BETWEEN WARBONNET LAKE & BARON LAKES

ALPINE LAKE FROM ABOVE

The Feather Lakes are beautiful, but they do take some effort to reach. To get to them, we day hiked from our campsite near the Redfish Lake Creek/Alpine Lake Trail junction. The previous day we had taken the Redfish Lake shuttle to the end of the lake and visited the Saddleback Lakes. I believe it was around ten miles round-trip from our campsite, but it involved some brutal climbing. The trail to Alpine Lake gains a lot of elevation, but it never gets too steep, as it has a lot of switchbacks. A little past Alpine Lake you will need to leave the trail and head for the ridge above the lake. There were a few cairns along the way to the ridge, but it is mostly up to you to make your way. We scrambled up a steep rock field on our way up, but ended up finding a decent trail to take on the way down this section.

Once you reach the ridge, you will see the Baron Lakes below to your right and a scary looking walk along the ridge to the next basin where the Warbonnet and Feather Lakes are. It looks scary, but there is a path to follow, and once you get on it its not as bad as it looks. Once over to the next ridge you will see the Warbonnet Lakes down a long, steep slope. There is a trail going down the slope, but it is very steep. You will need to go very slowly to avoid sliding down. Once at the bottom, it is just a short peaceful walk along a stream from the Warbonnet Lakes to the Feather Lakes. This was a beautiful basin that we had all to ourselves. The lakes were all pretty, and had lots of fish swimming around in them. I'm already planning on coming back so I can check out the many other lakes located in this basin. I tried hiking to it from Grandjean once, but the canyon was choked with bushes and other ground cover that made it too exhausting and time-consuming. Next time I'm planning to set up camp at the Upper Redfish Lakes, and pop over the ridge from there so I can spend a day checking out the area.

BARON LAKES

JULY 2020

MIDDLE BARON LAKE

UPPER BARON LAKE

BARON FALLS

MIDDLE BARON LAKE

LOWER BARON LAKE

The Baron Lakes can be reached from either the Redfish Lake or Grandjean Trailhead. Both require an approximately 20-mile round-trip hike, though the route from Redfish Lake can be reduced to approximately 14 miles if you take the boat shuttle across the lake. As I'd hiked most of the trail from Redfish Lake on a prior trip, I decided to try the Grandjean trail.

From the Grandjean Trailhead, you will follow along the South Fork of the Payette River for approximately a mile-and-a-half, before turning left at Baron Creek and following it up the canyon. After about two more miles you will cross the North Fork of Baron Creek. From here it is about another five miles to Baron Falls. The trail from Grandjean to Baron Falls is relatively flat. You are gradually gaining elevation, but there are no steep spots or switchbacks. Just prior to reaching Baron Falls, you will see two nice waterfalls cascading down from the south side of the canyon.

The trail doesn't take you very close to Baron Falls, so I decided to bushwhack over to them for a better view. It took a little work to get to them, but the views from the base of the falls were amazing. After taking a couple photos, I made my way back to the trail and up to the Baron Lakes Basin. Once in the basin, its about another mile-and-a-half to Middle Baron Lake. This is the largest lake in the basin, and the view from the inlet was stunning. From here I followed the trail about another half-mile to Upper Baron Lake.

After returning to Middle Baron Lake, I decided to check out Lower Baron Lake on my way out. There is no trail to it, so I just climbed the ridge behind Middle Baron and made a steep descent down the hillside to reach it. It was nice, but not as nice as the upper two lakes. I then worked my may back to the trail and the Grandjean Trailhead.