Fish Lake Trail

The trail starts uphill almost immediately. The first 1.6 miles gain more than 900 feet, passing red cedar, western larch and hemlock before the forest shifts higher into spruce-fir. Around three-quarters of a mile, patches of the 2017 Sprague Fire change the forest and reduce shade. Hikers and horses share this lower corridor.

At the Mount Brown junction, about 1.6 miles in, continue on the main trail. About a tenth of a mile later, the Snyder Lake path forks left; stay on the route toward Crystal Ford. The trail drops briefly to a footbridge over Snyder Creek. Cross it and turn right onto Snyder Ridge Trail; straight ahead continues toward Sperry Chalet. This is the turn that keeps you on the Fish Lake route.

Snyder Ridge climbs steeply for a short stretch after the bridge, then settles into a gentler traverse. The path crosses Jackson Creek and Sprague Creek before reaching the lake, where a short side path descends to shore. In early season, streams can be deep, swift and cold; seasonal bridges start going in in late May. Check current trail status before setting out.

The 2017 Sprague Fire, started by lightning, burned 16,982 acres and destroyed the interior of Sperry Chalet's dormitory. Its burn patches are still part of the walk, and some sections have less shade than the unburned forest.

Fish Lake is an 8-acre lake ringed with lily pads and dense forest. From the shore, frame the lily pads against the tree line across the water; it is a more distinctive view than a close shot of the water alone. Mosquitoes can be thick in late spring and early summer.