Crystal Lake Trail

Starting from the Sawtooth trailhead in Mineral King, you'll share the first couple of miles with the popular Monarch Lakes crowd before the Crystal Lake spur veers off and the company thins out. The trail wastes no time gaining elevation through granite-studded switchbacks, pushing through red fir forest before breaking into open alpine terrain where the views hit you all at once — White Chief Peak looming to the south, the jagged Farewell Gap ridgeline cutting the horizon, and the Great Western Divide stretching beyond. The final push to the lake is steep and rocky, demanding careful footwork over loose talus, but Crystal Lake itself sits in a stunning glacial cirque, its water impossibly clear against gray granite walls. At nearly ten miles round trip with serious vertical, this one rewards hikers who earn their alpine lakes the hard way. Strong day-hikers and peak-baggers will feel right at home here.