From the trailhead, the trail is good for a mile or so, though it branches a bunch of times, and there are no trail signs. The trails seem informal, not planned, but it's open country and easy to navigate without getting lost.
I followed the lakeshore roughly, but it's easier to go high to get in great views and make route choices.
It took about 3 hours to reach the north end of Billy Clapp Lake. You have to make decisions about taking the bottom of coulees or going around them and sometimes you come to a cliff and need to backtrack or go around, but it doesn't take a great detour to do so. Usually there's no path, but there's a lot of deer trails you can take to make it easier.
It was a lot of fun exploring this area for the first time. I didn't see any other hikers. I saw several signs marking the area around the lake as a wildlife area with hunting prohibited. During hunting season, this is nice to know.
When I first read about this hike, it didn't seem so fun, but the further I got into it, the more fun it got. I give it a gold star.
Comments
Banjoyist on Billy Clapp Lake
I love your photos! The one with the cloud layer is stupendous. I'm planning to do some hiking in this area this spring.
Posted by:
Banjoyist on Mar 02, 2024 11:04 AM
Jukebox Jim on Billy Clapp Lake
I've returned a couple more times and did more exploring, including the other side of the lake. It was worth it. Good luck to you.
Posted by:
Jukebox Jim on Mar 02, 2024 02:54 PM