Alpine Lakes Loop

Alpine Lakes Loop is a 2.7-mile circuit from Bristlecone Trailhead. A short shared approach leads to the lake circuit; after visiting Stella and Teresa Lakes, you retrace that approach to the lot. The route stays in the high basin beneath Wheeler Peak and Doso Doyabi, with forest, meadows, rocky slopes and two different lakeshores breaking up the climb. If you have time for one easy high-country walk, do the full circuit: turning around at Stella repeats the way in and leaves Teresa out. Allow 1.5 to 3 hours. The grade is manageable, but at nearly 10,000 feet you may work harder than the mileage suggests.

From the trailhead, take the maintained path over a small creek. The Sky Island Forest Trail branches left early; stay on the main route. There is another bridge and a short boardwalk before the trail climbs gradually through conifers and patches of aspen. Small openings bring Wheeler Peak into view. Around a mile in, Stella Lake appears near junctions with the Wheeler Peak Summit Trail. Stay on the lake route at those crossings; following the summit path changes this into a much longer hike.

Stella has an open shore beneath a steep, pale scree slope, with Wheeler Peak behind it. It is the first lake on the circuit and an easy place to stop. For a photo, include some of the shore in front of the mountain; the foreground shows the scale of the slope better than a tight shot of the water. The loop continues past the lake, so do not mistake the first view for the end of the walk.

After Stella, the path gradually descends through thicker pine cover, then reaches Teresa Lake on the right at roughly 1.8 miles. It is smaller and more enclosed by trees than Stella. Its waterline changes with the snowpack and the year: in a dry season it can shrink to a small pool, while a wetter year can leave a broad, blue-green basin. The trail meets the Bristlecone route nearby; stay on Alpine Lakes Loop if you want the short lake circuit rather than the separate Bristlecone Grove and glacier walk.

These lakes sit in small basins shaped by Ice Age glaciers. The steep rubble slopes and broken ridgelines around them make that history visible without leaving the trail. The path moves between conifer forest, patches of aspen and open meadow; summer brings wildflowers, and the lakeside openings frame Wheeler Peak and Doso Doyabi. The park also recommends the loop for a night walk, when the dark basin opens onto a broad view of the stars.

Park at Bristlecone Trailhead at the end of Wheeler Peak Scenic Drive. The trailhead has pit toilets without running water; parking on the road or outside marked spaces is prohibited. There is no potable water along the scenic drive, so bring enough for the hike and a snack. The route starts just below 10,000 feet, where afternoon thunderstorms and altitude illness are real concerns; the basin can also be 20 to 30 degrees cooler than the valley. Slow down or turn back if you feel altitude symptoms or see storms building. The scenic drive closes in winter and after snowfall, so access is seasonal. Pets are not allowed on park trails; trained service animals are permitted.