Plaza Lake Hike

Overview

This is a short but steep hike down to a secluded mountain lake sequestered among old growth trees. It is a tranquil site, ideal for fishing, swimming, or quiet contemplation on a summer day. As for road access, Abbot Road is rough and gets rougher after the Twin Springs Trailhead, so you might want to park there and walk east on the road. Another (even longer) approach would be to take the paved road to the Upper Fanton Trailhead or the Old Baldy West Trailhead and hike the Old Baldy Trail to Twin Springs and then along Abbot Road to the Plaza Lake Trailhead. The path leads down from the campsite area and you soon encounter the first of 17 switchbacks. Rhododendrons dominate in the understory at the top of the ridge, shaded by mountain hemlock, Douglas-fir, noble fir and silver fir. Huckleberries, vine maple, and bear-grass soon appear and the trail switchbacks between a couple of talus slopes. Farther down the slope, some large Douglas-firs and western hemlocks stand by the trail. Just above the lake, a spur drops to a campsite and the main trail drops steeply down to the shore, which is tightly hemmed by thickets of rhododendron, spiraea, Sitka alder, mountain ash, and vine maple. The trail is the last remnant of the South Fork Salmon River Trail, which came up out of the valley and passed by Plaza Lake before reaching the ridge line.

Trail Stats

Photos

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