Lofty Lake Trailhead — Attraction in Hideout

Really nice easy trail with some nice views of lakes. We did this hike with a few people who don't hike at all, and our dog, and everyone was able to finish in about 3 hours. Strava clocked us at 4.85 miles to finish the lofty lake trail. There is a vault toilet at the trailhead. There is a parking lot with several parking spots at the trailhead, but I imagine this gets filled up very quickly. We came here on an off season weekend on a day when it was raining and snowing... And there were still maybe 15 cars in the parking lot. I can imagine that this is a very popular trail, due to its location very close to several campgrounds, and the fact that there are great views along the trail. There is an ice cave along this trail too - but that is very seasonal. Right now, there is no ice in the cave - just...

Amazing hike. I would rate it as a strong medium plus, due to the elevation (10k feet) and the very rocky trail. This is definitely NOT a nice smooth walking trail kind of hike. Temps in the valley today were in the low 90s, but only low 70s in the afternoon at this hike, which made it really nice. We saw a nice-sized dear at the beginning of our hike (we went counter-clockwise on the loop). It was so nice and quiet and peaceful and beautiful up there. I would definitely recommend the use of walking sticks, especially when descending on the trail. It is true, that sometimes it is unclear exactly where the trail is, but usually can be figured out. The whole Mirror Lake area is not crowded at all at this time of year and it's a great time to hike those areas, especially when temps in the valley are...

This was a very beautiful trail. It takes you down along Picturesque and Scout lakes before climbing up and over a ridge to get to Lofty lake. You then go to another ridge and have great views of Ruth Lake. The trail then takes you down to Kamas lake, which is also very pretty. The trail is very rugged and loose, make sure to wear heavy duty shoes with...