Wednesday, September 14, 2016

2016 Island Lake Trail in Lamoille Canyon Nevada Hike


Introduction


Last year, while in Elko for the 4th of July, I tried out the Island Lake trail located in Lamoille Canyon.  You can see the pictures and my write-up here.

This past weekend, I had a few hours to kill and having just run a half marathon a few hours ago (and having just eaten a delicious buffet at the Red Lion) I wasn't in the mood to do a epic-long power hike.  So I knew exactly where to go: Lamoille Canyon's Island Lake Trail.

This trail is located at the top of the canyon and is easy to miss.  There is a trail head right at the entrance to the parking lot.  There is a sign for it but often times the thin trail is overgrown with shrubbery.

The trail is a moderate hike with some elevation climb but I was able to get up to the lake, goof around at the lake, go above the lake and take pictures and come back down in less than 2 hours.

Island Lake


The lake is appropriately named.  There is a marshy island in middle of the lake and it's waters are cold (according to some kids swimming) and a pretty blue.  There are a ton of places to sit as well as informational sign or two up there.

Given that a lot of the scrub was dead, it gave me the opportunity to circle above the lake and get some pictures of the canyon behind the lake and the lake itself from high above.  I suspect there is some more hiking to be done back there if you are willing to work for it, but my mission to see what lie just ahead was accomplished.

This hike is great for families or if you are short on time.  It is definitely worth a visit though and one I'd definitely recommend.

Enjoy the photos:


Heading up the trail

Heading up the trail






View of the service road


First view of Island Lake











View of Island Lake from the back of the lake







Aerial shot of Island Lake







Heading back down the trail

 

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