Thousand Island Lake Loop via High Trail & Shadow Creek Trail (Ansel Adams Wilderness, CA)

Thousand Island Lake, Ansel Adams Wilderness, Inyo National Forest, August 2023 Rising prominently above California’s Mammoth Lakes area, the Ritter Range boasts a clutch of spectacular peaks and majestic alpine lakes best reached on a multi-day backpacking adventure. The largest of the lakes is Thousand Island Lake, set in a basin below iconic Banner Peak …

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Nymph, Dream, and Emerald Lakes (Rocky Mountain National Park, CO)

The 1.8 mi. (one-way) hike to Emerald Lake is a Rocky Mountain NP classic: excellent mountain views, wildflowers, and flowing rapids, interrupted only by the serenity of three high-altitude lakes (four, if you include Bear). The final leg, from Dream to Emerald Lakes, is particularly spectacular. The downside, of course, is that the relative ease …

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