Jean Lake Hike

Overview

Jean Lake is one of the more secluded wilderness destinations you will find that is accessed by such a short trail. It lies nestled in a lush meadow 900 feet above Badger Lake in the Badger Lake Wilderness. The catch is that vehicle access is via the notoriously rough Bennett Pass Road (FR 3550), not recommended for cars with low clearance and a slow drive under any conditions. The lake can also be reached via the Bennett Pass Road as an addition to the Gunsight Butte-Badger Lake Loop Hike. The trail heads down under old growth mountain hemlock, silver fir, noble fir and Engelmann spruce. A sign indicates the boundary of the Badger Creek Wilderness. Pass by a spring trickling out from under large boulder and continue down in the shady woods to a creek which leads into the lake through a meadow. There’s a campsite across the creek and altogether it’s a serene scene. Marsh violets, plantain-leaf buttercups, tall mountain shooting stars, dotted saxifrage and alpine speedwell bloom in the summer. A footpath, sometimes a little sketchy, leads around the lake. The lake is stocked with rainbow trout. It is possible to bushwhack down the wooded slope to the Divide Trail and then Badger Lake; you can use trails/roads to make a return loop to Jean Lake.

Trail Stats

Photos

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