JULY 2015 & AUGUST 2019
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| LOWER TAIL CREEK LAKE |
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| GRANDJEAN |
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| LOWER TAIL CREEK LAKE WATERFALL |
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| POND BELOW LOWER TRAIL CREEK LAKE |
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| MIDDLE TAIL CREEK LAKE |
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| POND NEAR MIDDLE TAIL CREEK LAKE |
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| TAIL CREEK |
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| TAIL CREEK |
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| UPPER TAIL CREEK LAKE |
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| UPPER TAIL CREEK LAKE |
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| UPPER TAIL CREEK LAKE |
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| TRAILER LAKES |
The Tail Creek Lakes are a beautiful group of lakes accessed via a steep 11-mile round-trip hike from the Grandjean Trailhead. While the Grandjean Trailhead is the closest Sawtooth Mountain trailhead to my home, it receives a lot less traffic than the more popular ones further up the road. I got to the trailhead early on a Sunday morning in July 2015, and had the area almost entirely to myself. The hike to the first lake is pretty steep, as it takes you up the canyon along Tail Creek. As you near the lake you will pass through a blackened forest that was hit by a forest fire a while back.
The Tail Creek Lakes area is amazing, and it was really enjoyable passing by the various lakes and ponds. The area was much more beautiful than I was expecting. It was especially beautiful while I was up there, as some clouds came to block the sun and rained on me for a while to keep me cool. While attempting to make my way to Regan Lake and the Trailer Lakes I misjudged the topography on my map and ended up on a ridge high above them. Too tired to walk down to them, I decided to just admire them from above.
I returned to the Tail Creek Lakes in August 2019 with the goal of seeing Regan Lake and the Trailer Lakes since I missed them last time. While still a pleasant hike, it wasn't quite as pretty in August 2019 as it was in July 2015. This time it was hot, dry, sunny and less green that it had been the first time I visited. The way down to Regan Lake from the Tail Creek Lakes isn't easy, as it took some scrambling to get to. However, once there, it was a fairly peaceful walk up the canyon to the Trailer Lakes, which were really impressive. After spending some time at these lakes, I decided to take a more direct route down a steep mountain side to the Tail Creek Lakes. A nice hike, but it just didn't impress me as much as it did the first time I visited. So much depends on the weather and the time of year you go.
