gps tracks to glacier lake in tahoe national forest

This part of the trail is fantastic as you enter a large meadow with daunting peaks above you and a bubbling creek running down the middle. The switchbacks eventually end in a small meadow, and you will walk along a shaded path for about a tenth of a mile.įrom here, the trail splits, and you will be heading down on the path to Glacier Lake, not Lakes 4-7. Heading back to the trail, we started up the switchbacks that take you up in elevation quickly, and you will soon be looking down on Third Lake below you. We walked down to the shore of Third Lake as the water was pristine in the early morning light. Within a half mile or so, you will get your first glimpse of Third Lake, which is another glacier-fed lake that is beautiful like First and Second Lake. The trail leaves from Second Lake on a well-maintained path that starts gradually climbing as you head out from the lake. We set out on the trail at around 8 AM after watching the sunrise and drinking coffee. I hiked this trail with my friend Chris from. Here is a video showing the highlights of the 2-day trip. If you are interested in the portion from the trailhead to Second Lake, then read all about it here. I did it as part of a backpacking trip along the North Fork of Big Pine, and this post talks about the trail as it leaves from Second Lake. This hike can technically be done in a day, but I would not trust myself to do it in a day, and so I wouldn’t recommend trying that.

This information is from my trip in 2016.

5,000 feet from the trailhead, 2,500 feet of gain from Second Lake.19 mile round trip from the trailhead, 8 miles round trip from Second Lake.If you are interested in doing it, then read on for all the information. Getting there is an incredible accomplishment, but one that shouldn’t be taken lightly as you have to deal with elevation (over 12,000 feet), class 3 scrambling to the ridge, and just overall distance. It is accessed by a short but challenging trail that splits off from the Big Pine North Fork Trail. Palisades Glacier is one of the southernmost glaciers in North America, and it sits right around 12,4000 feet.

Gps tracks to glacier lake in tahoe national forest