Mineral Creek Trail #1331

Hike down the century-old mining road that runs along the bottom of Mineral Creek’s deep basin on your way to a set of gorgeous alpine lakes.

From the trailhead, the Mineral Creek Trail #1331 wastes no time presenting you with its first challenge: a river ford. Logs spanning The Kachess River are usually easy to find, but when they are not, it’s a short wade to the other side. Rejoin the trail and climb up the mountainside for 0.4 to the junction with the Little Kachess Trail #1312. Keep right on the Mineral Creek Trail, heading north and traversing into Mineral Creek Basin. At 1.6 miles, the trail reaches Mineral Creek. Here the curious can spend a little time investigating a nearby mineshaft at what remains of an old mining mill. This also makes for a good turnaround point for younger hikers.

The trail continues over Mineral Creek, which may require another dip in the water if no easy stepping stones are available. Enter the Alpine Lakes Wilderness shortly afterward and continue a somewhat leisurely stroll to the 2.5-mark where the truly brushy portion of the trail begins. The trail can be brushy here, but remains easy to follow beneath the greenery, just take your time and you’ll soon reach the end of the basin, crossing yet another creek at 3.5 miles. At this point the trail angles steeply uphill. Continue slogging up to reach Upper Park Lake at 4.3 miles.

There's a lot more to Mineral Creek, and you can learn all about it in Alpine Lakes Wilderness: The Complete Hiking Guide. You'll find a trail map, route descriptions, history, and more for this and many other hikes throughout the State. Help support hikingwithmybrother.com and the work we do by picking up a copy!