hikespeak

While Lake Tahoe's deep blue waters are the region's biggest draw for summertime visitors, the under-the-radar Fallen Leaf Lake is a jewel in its own right. Fallen Leaf Campground is a great basecamp for exploring both lakes, thanks to its central location about 1/4 mile from the north end of Fallen Leaf Lake and a mile from the south end of Lake Tahoe. Fallen Leaf Campground is spread... Read more.

What's better than hiking by a lovely creek - maybe hiking by a lovely lake. You can do both on Moraine Trail, visiting Fallen Leaf Lake and Taylor Creek in the Lake Tahoe Basin National Forest Lands near South Lake Tahoe. This easy and level loop is 1.1 miles long, including a short side trail to Fallen Leaf Lake Dam. The mountain-cradled Fallen Leaf Lake is located just south of Lake... Read more.

Interpretive trails are usually good places to appreciate the finer features of a forest, but they tend to lack grand vistas. This is not the case with Way of the Mono Trail, which rises to a splendid view over Bass Lake, a beauty in the Sierra Nevada Mountains south of Yosemite National Park. Way of the Mono Trail is a 0.6-mile loop with 140 feet of elevation change. Panels along this... Read more.

Camping alongside a lake with views of Mount Hood - sounds pretty relaxing, right? Trillium Lake Campground, or just simply Trillium Campground, has 57 sites spread through an evergreen forest on the east side of Trillium Lake in Mount Hood National Forest. Trillium Lake is a 63-acre beauty just south of Mount Hood. The campground is a few miles from Government Camp and a 60-mile drive from... Read more.

With monumental Mount Hood rising above its northern shore, Trillium Lake is a picturesque and popular destination for camping, hiking, and fun on the water. The summit of Mount Hood is just 7.5 miles from Trillium Lake and the famed Timberline Lodge can be spotted on its slopes. Hike an easy 2-mile loop around this scenic 63-acre lake in Mount Hood National Forest near Government Camp,... Read more.

What makes Mirror Lake Trail such a popular hike? For starters, it is very approachable. The trailhead is just off Highway 26 by Ski Bowl West in Government Camp, Oregon. The creek-crossing hike through a forest of firs is appealing too. The main reason people are drawn to this 4.3-mile round trip hike (with 550 feet of elevation change) is sure to be the potential for postcard views of Mount... Read more.

The pristine Cascadian jewel called Clear Lake, was forged in the fires of a volcanic eruption, 3,000 years ago. The lave flow that dammed the lake still occupies stretches of the shoreline. A loop trail around Clear Lake weaves through resilient old growth forests and fields of volcanic rock, offering beautiful lake views around almost every turn. The 5-mile loop hike combines Clear Lake... Read more.

Potholes aren't always bad. The creatively carved-out bedrock at Pothole Falls adds to the allure of the cascades. Pothole Falls is just a stone's throw from Round Lake, a 26-acre body in Lacamas Lake Regional Park in Camas, Washington. Round Lake Loop Trail offers a relaxing nature trail through lake-edge forest. Circle Round Lake and check out Pothole Falls on a 1.6-mile outing with 200... Read more.

You might not realize that Hollywood has a lake until you look down on it from the top of Mount Lee by the Hollywood Sign. Numerous hikes lead to the Hollywood Sign and a level hiking trail wraps around Lake Hollywood Reservoir. To visit the Hollywood Sign, three peaks on the west side of Griffith Park, and Lake Hollywood, set out on the Hollywood Sign – Hollywood Reservoir Loop. Begin... Read more.

Emerald Lake Trail visits a trio of beautiful mountain lakes in Rocky Mountain National Park, easing past Nymph Lake and Dream Lake on the way to Emerald Lake, which is cradled below 12,000-foot peaks along the Continental Divide. This three-lake hike is 3.6 miles round trip with 650 feet of elevation change. This scenic hike begins from Bear Lake Trailhead, where a fourth lake can added to... Read more.