Mileage/Elevation Gain: 7.62mi/2,411ft
Weather: Sunny
Parking/Road There: Mason Lake RD transitions to a gravel road on the way to the trailhead. Be mindful of the large pothole as the road transitions from paved to gravel, it can be heard to see especially if there is sunshine on the way. The parking lot was full when we arrived at the trailhead a little after 9am. When we returned to the trailhead around 1pm the number of cars parked along the side of the road stretched out a bit into the road. The trailhead serves multiple trails so expect heavy traffic in the parking lot even if you don't see it on the trail.
Foot Traffic: Speaking of traffic on the trail, there was foot traffic on the trail.Things got a bit crowded at the first portion of the ridge that offered views of Rainer. There was also some traffic closer to the lake. We passed more people coming up on our way down.
Trail: This was originally going to be a hike up to Little Bandera but after reaching the junction and climbing a few steps up the trail to Little Bandera, my sore body rejected the experience so I opted for Mason Lake instead. It's great that a single trailhead offers access to a punch of different trail systems.
Mason Lake ended up being a great way to round a weekend of hiking. There a few spots to lounge around the lake and enjoy soaking up the sun.
Before you get there though, you will have to gain some elevation on your journey. The trails starts off pretty flat but the grade starts to pick up right away after you cross the footbridge to Mason Creek. Some stretches were pretty brief and the exposed slope requires some careful footing as you make your way through the granite slopes. After the fork with Bandera, the terrain is pretty flat and descends down to the lake.
Once you get to the lake, there is a main trail that loops around the lake although you'll have to traverse through some off-trail parts if you want to find a spot near the lake.
Overall, Mason Lake is a great hike if you're able to go early or late enough to avoid the foot traffic and perhaps on a cloudier day to avoid the sunnier stretches along the ridge.
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