The Highest Lake In Idaho Is A Pacific Northwest Gem To Hike To With Gorgeous Mountain Views
Free-roaming wolves, six separate ecoregions that range from alpine forests to rolling plains, native populations of grizzly bears — it must be Idaho! The Gem State seals its place among the other wild territories of the Pacific Northwest with stunning backcountry and mountains galore. They are sort of the hallmarks of this region, you know? Oh, and there are soaring lakes to be seen in these parts to boot, not least of all the single highest lake in all of Idaho: Goat Lake.
The superlative comes from the fact that Goat Lake is the highest-altitude lake listed on U.S. Geological Survey topo maps. It sits amid a cluster of other lakes — Betty Lake to the north, Baptie Lake to the southeast — in the midst of the Pioneer Mountains in Custer County. To reach it, you'll need to hit the trails. It's a path that takes you up through meadows filled with wildflowers, then out above the tree line into a cirque of mountains dominated by Standhope Peak.
The adventure begins at Broad Canyon Campground, tucked deep in the rugged mountains of central Idaho, an off-radar corner of the Pacific Northwest known for its uncrowded trails. Even getting here will likely be a challenge, since the trailhead sits a whopping 5 hours' drive from the city of Boise (and the state's main airport). However, you can drive to the start point in a little over three hours from Blackfoot, the "Potato Capital of the World", which rests on Interstate 15 to the southeast.
Hike up to Goat Lake to find stunning views of the Pioneer Mountains
The hike to Idaho's most altitudinous lake is bound to be a doozy, but the path enjoys an enviable 4.9 out of 5 on the outdoors platform AllTrails despite its hard rating. One past walker sums up the finale with glowing words: "Beautiful. Just beautiful. Goat Lake may take the cake for one of the prettiest lakes in all of Idaho."
The path totals around 12 miles in all, and can be done as a loop, utilizing the gentle ascents of the Broad Canyon Trail on the way up, and the steeper Jarvis Trail to get back to your car at the end. You'll first hike through a forested valley, hopping creeks and dodging big evergreens. Later, you'll emerge into a bowl of jagged Pioneer summits that includes the triangular profile of Standhope Peak on one side and an 11,887-footer sometimes called The Fin on the other. Talk about views!
Unlike Idaho's largest lake, Pend Oreille, where the shoreline is dotted with artsy towns, Goat Lake is no cinch to get to. One hiker talks of thigh-burning zigzags on the final ascent to the lake itself in a report on the Backcountrypost forums. What's more, the lake's 10,438 feet of elevation is well above the 8,000-foot point at which altitude can be an issue, so be ready for thin air — prep accordingly, and consider reading up on the best things to do if you experience altitude sickness on a hike.