Had a few midweek days off so decided to do a Wednesday-Thursday overnight to Tank Lakes. I don’t have much else to add that hasn’t already been mentioned in the most recent trip reports, but here we go.
My 2007 Honda Civic had no trouble getting to the trailhead. There’s a pit toilet in the lot, and you’ll have to fill out a walk-up permit + hang a National Forest Pass in your car before you head up the trail.
The first ~5 miles of the trail are chill and very standard PNW forest vibes. Gentle ups and downs. Unfortunately, after the river crossing, you’ll gain like 2500 ft in about 3 miles heading up to Jade Lake. I was Big Sad about this, but I knew the destination would be worth the suffer fest. There are campsites at Jade, Emerald, Iiswoot, etc. for folks who wanna break up the mileage.
After Jade, the trail evens out for a little while as you meander past a few other lakes and wander through some meadows. Soon enough, you’ll start to climb in earnest through boulder fields up to Tank Lakes. I took the boot path up, but I think I’d recommend sticking to the trail that runs along the creek/intersects with the route to La Bohn because it’s less steep. Regardless of which trail you take, they’ll both spit you out on the ridge, which you’ll follow to get to Tank Lakes. There are helpful cairns scattered throughout this area; consider downloading/bringing a map if you’re concerned about losing your way in this rocky landscape.
There is plenty of room to set up camp once you get to the southernmost Tank Lake. I imagine there isn’t a ton of privacy on busy weekends, but it’s a big space with many established sites, so even if there are crowds, I don’t think you’d have much trouble finding a spot to pitch your tent. Please remember to bury your waste or bring Wag Bags.
A lovely trip overall. Maybe one day I’ll return and do the whole High Route loop.
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