Lake Stuart and Colchuck Lake Hike

Since Colchuck Lake and Stuart Lake are such great destinations in their own right, it’s a happy coincidence that both can be reached in one go on the same trail. This is a hard but very beautiful hike that shows off the local wildflowers in the early summer.

Begin from the trailhead. The first mile and a half climbs gradually, taking you through a forest that becomes less dense the further you get. Cross over to the right bank of Mountaineer Creek and then prepare for the trail to steepen.

Arrive at the junction, where the right-hand trail goes to Stuart and the left to Colchuck. Stay right and enjoy a flatter section of trail until the final push up to Lake Stuart. Rest up by the shores and enjoy the views before retracing your steps back to the junction. Now, stay left onto Colchuck Lake Trail. You’ll cross another bridge and come up to a rocky stretch of the route. You’ll need to navigate over some boulders as you cross over a talus slope.

Out of the rocks, the grade increases. While the switchbacks seem rather moderate at first, the trail gets rockier and steeper the closer you get to the lake. Keep going, looking for peeks of Dragontail as portions of the view open up.

The trail turns to the right before dropping into a swale. Here, the lake appears before you. There’s a large granite slab in front of the lake that’s perfect to plop down on for a rest and a packed lunch, or you can pick out the trail along the lakeshore. It goes less than a mile around and isn’t in great condition, but it’s a good way to change your view a little.

The trail around the lake turns at a tarn. Most people here are tempted to stay on a clear footpath on the right, but you’ll want to keep left on the rockier trail. It goes until the terminal moraine of the Colchuck Glacier before dying out.

When you’re ready, you’ll make your way back to the trailhead on the same route you used to reach the lakes.