 |
| LOWER HANSON LAKE |
 |
| BELOW LADY FACE FALLS |
 |
| LADY FACE FALLS |
 |
| VIEW FROM LADY FACE FALLS |
 |
| BIRD AT LOWER HANSON LAKE |
 |
| BRIDAL VEIL FALLS |
 |
| BRIDAL VEIL FALLS |
 |
| LOWER HANSON LAKE FROM ABOVE |
 |
| MIDDLE HANSON LAKE |
 |
| VIEW NEAR BRIDAL VEIL FALLS |
 |
LAKE TO THE NORTH OF THE HANSON LAKES
|
 |
| STANLEY LAKE |
 |
STANLEY LAKE
|
Hanson Lakes is a great 9.5 mile round-trip hike into the Sawtooth Mountains from Stanley Lake. The trail begins as a flat peaceful stroll through the forest before crossing Stanley Lake Creek and making a steep climb up the side of Bridal Veil Falls to the first lake. There is no signage telling you when to leave the main trail for the Hanson Lakes, so just watch for Bridal Veil Falls to your right. To get to the Hanson Lakes, just follow the creek feeding Bridal Veil Falls, which will require you to cross over Stanley Lake Creek. There is no bridge, so just look for a good spot to wade across.
On my way up, I ended up finding a faint trail to the left of Bridal Veil Falls that was really steep and required scrambling up a lot of loose rock and gravel. However, on my way down I found a much better trail to the right of the falls that had more switchbacks. Once arriving at the first lake, I was blown away by the view. It was much prettier than I was expecting. Having the entire lake to myself also made it a bit more beautiful. After having lunch at Lower Hanson Lake, I scrambled up the hillside to the right to Middle Hanson Lake, which was equally amazing. I had hoped to also visit Upper Hanson Lake, but after seeing the steep climb required to reach it, and feeling tired, I changed my mind. Maybe another day. As I was hiking in October, I had the entire Hanson Lake area to myself and only saw a couple people at Stanley Lake. Autumn can be a very peaceful time to hike the Sawtooth.
I hiked the Hanson Lakes again in June, 2021, as I had always wanted to see the Upper Lake, and the lakes located to the north and south of the Hanson Lakes. This time, I accidentally crossed the creek too early and headed up the hillside prior to reaching Bridal Veil Falls, resulting in me reaching the Middle Lake first. From here I made my up to the Upper Lake, which was a bit of a letdown. It was only about a quarter full, and with all the surrounding snow having already melted, didn't look like it was ever going to fill up that year. It looks like it would be really hard to catch this lake when it was at capacity, and even then, it is very shallow lake without too impressive of a backdrop. From here I made my way north to the next basin to get a look at another lake. I looked down on it from high above, and decided it wasn't worth the effort of hiking all the way down to, as it appeared to just be a fairly average lake.
Following this, I made my way down to the Lower Lake, and continued south to several ponds. This was a pretty area that is worth visiting if you are in the area, as it doesn't require an excessive amount of effort to reach. After visiting this area I made my way back down to the main trail alongside Bridal Veil Falls.
