#3 - Alpine Lakes Trail

easy (192)

Length : 2.7 mi • Est. 1 h 4 m

Please note that road closures have been reported leading up to this trail as of May 15th, 2020. The three-mile Alpine Lakes Loop Trail at the end of Great Basin National Park Scenic Drive offers high elevation backcountry hiking to two small lakes that lie in the shadow of Wheeler Peak - Stella and Teresa Lakes. The three-mile Alpine Lakes Loop Trail offers the hiker a sense of diversity found in the high elevation backcountry of Great Basin National Park. Two small lakes lie in the shadow of Wheeler Peak. Both occupy shallow depressions left behind by retreating glaciers. both are fed by snow melt and occasional summer storms. To reach Stella Lake the trail rises 400 feet from the trailhead (first right turn at the junction if taken counterclockwise) and passes through a forest of Englemann spruce, aspen and timber pine and takes you to a dramatic alpine setting with a barren sawtooth ridge rising above the surface of a smooth lake. The trail continues another mile to Teresa Lake. Above the lake, blooming primrose and shooting stars reveal a small spring. There are no fish in these lakes as they are both shallow and freeze solid in winter. The trail is a great loop for children and can be combined with the longer Bristlecone and/or Glacier trail (there is about a half mile overlap along the loop) to make a great day hike. Begin at the Bristlecone Parking Area, near Wheeler Peak Campground.