Stella Lake

The hike to Stella Lake is an easy and fun adventure. You will hike through aspen and pine trees and even pass by the occasional ancient bristlecone pine tree! You won't gain too much elevation and will be quickly rewarded with close up views of Wheeler Peak and also the incredible valley Stella Lake is located in. Please keep in mind that the road to the Summit Trailhead is seasonal from about early spring to late fall. On a recent trip to Great Basin National Park and on our way back from hiking Wheeler Peak we made a quick detour to Stella Lake. Since it only added about .10 mile to our existing hike we figured it would be a worthwhile stop. I however, will give you the directions on how to get here from the Summit Trailhead parking lot area. If you hike Stella Lake from the parking lot, the trail doesn't gain too much in elevation and it provides for incredible views of Wheeler Peak and also the valley you are hiking in. From the parking lot the trail cuts south and west through large aspen groves. This would be an excellent hike for the fall season with all the leaves changing! Keep following the trail until you come to a sign that points you to Stella Lake and Wheeler Peak. Keep hiking for another .1 mile until you come to another fork in the trail where you will see the sign. Take the left fork for .1 miles until you come to Stella Lake. The trail from here to Stella Lake is easy. After the .1 miles you will come upon Stella Lake. The lake is really cool since you can still see Wheeler Peak above. There is a trail that connects to a few other lakes. We didn't have the time and energy (after hiking to the top of Wheeler Peak) to continue on but we thought Stella Lake was a great way to finish off our grueling hike to the summit. This would also be a fun quick hike if you wanted to get close to Wheeler Peak but don't want to hike to the top. Stella Lake, just like many other parts of Great Basin National Park, is a very peaceful place - we didn't find any other hikers on this trail and if you come in late fall, you may just have the same luck! Stella Lake is a nice quick detour where you can still see a lot. I would like to come back to the national park so I can do the lake trail.