Fault Lake Trail #59

A great trail to take a youth group on for an overnight trip. It's also great if you just want a bit of time out in the beauty that surrounds this whole area. Overall, this trail has a fairly steady climb with a real gem of a lake as a reward. From the trailhead, Fault Lake Trail immediately descends to cross McCormick Creek. The trail then climbs above the creek with views of the hills to the east before it enters the forest. Following McCormick Creek that is far below, upstream, the creek can be heard, but one only gets occasional glimpses of it. At the 1.6 and 2.1 mile marks are two switchbacks that gain enough elevation that views of the rugged peaks to the west, emerge. A creek with a cute, little waterfall is passed at the 3.3 mile mark. Continuing on, great views of the distant mountains to the east are soon seen. Climbing higher, although the low vegetation is still dense, the trees thin and are smaller. As one nears Fault Lake, some interesting steep sections on rock slabs are crossed - watch for a few cairns to help guide the way. Another pretty, little waterfall is passed at the 5.9 mile mark, just before reaching Fault Lake.