We were lucky enough to get an overnight permit for Lake Stuart over Labor Day weekend, however our entry date was Sunday so only stayed one night. To make the most of the one day and because we knew we would have to deal with the inevitable fiasco at the shared TH with Colchuck Lake, we got up at 3am Sunday and arrived at TH at about 615am. There were a couple cars already lining the road to the parking lot, and it appeared the lot was pretty much full already. We were in a steady stream of cars arriving at the TH so I snagged a spot along the road instead of entering the lot. I didn't realize they reserve most of the outside of the lot for permitted overnighters and there were some empty spots as we walked by, so that was nice to know for future reference.
Definitely still a crowded trail right now, a lot of larger groups too and not really much mask wearing. But it is wide in places with lots of spots to pull off to the side. It was much nicer when we branched off to the Lake Stuart trail, we barely saw anyone after that. We arrived at the lake at about 930 am and started walking around in search of the perfect camp spot. I have to say its definitely nice to be in a permitted area where you don't have to stress about finding an open spot. We made it to the large rock formation on the other side and set up on top of it. A lot of the lake is actually surrounded by marshy reeds so the access for swimming and fishing isn't ideal, but at this rock there is great access. Some other camps had a sandy beach which would have been nice too. We spent a lazy day hammocking, swimming, reading, and snacking - it was great. There were NO MOSQUITOS which was a blessing but there were some bothersome biting flies. It was hot that day and still not cooling down much at night; I slept with my sleeping bag half unzipped and usually I struggle to stay warm. Weather will change soon though. No smoke at all when we were there but sounds like a lot of fires started all around the state this weekend. Anyway its no Core Enchantments but Lake Stuart is still a beautiful spot and made a great overnight.
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