So many blueberries/huckleberries/salmon berries. Added a substantial amount of time with all our berry picking stops :)
The way to Thunder Mountain Lakes is straightforward overall but there are a lot of social trails, talus fields to scramble across, and a few cairns here and there. We tried to pick the paths with the least impact on the fragile heather and meadows.
There are quite a few campsites around the lake but it does look like tents have been pitched on grassy spots around the lake (unfortunately).
We were there on a Sunday-Monday and only 3 groups total staying at the lake but we heard there were around 20 tents Saturday to Sunday! There are quite a few dirt campsites along the way (after the turnoff from the PCT) which can be a good backup if dirt/rock campsites around the lake are full.
Given how rocky it is around the lake and the high volume of visitors, would recommend wag bags for solid waste to pack out.
Beautiful adventure, we’ll visit again in the future I’m sure!
Type of Hike
OvernightTrail Conditions
Trail in good conditionRoad
Road suitable for all vehiclesBugs
Bugs were not too badSnow
Snow free
Comments
pula58 on Thunder Mountain Lakes
The reason that the Trail was well maintained up until the turn off for the Thunder Mountain Lakes is that the route to Thunder Mountain Lakes is not a trail per say. Or maybe a better way to say it is that is is not an official trail. It is just a path made by many people walking the same line. It was never built, and is not maintained.
Posted by:
pula58 on Aug 06, 2025 02:54 PM