Crystal Lake, St. Maries, Idaho
Crystal Lake Trail is a hiking hidden gem in Appendix A of 100 Hikes in the Inland Northwest: From Interstate 90 at Cataldo, Idaho, take Exit 40 and head south 20 dusty miles to Sheep Camp on the divide between the Coeur d’Alene and St. Joe River drainages. The campsite is used mostly by locals in summer and hunters in autumn. The trail starts east across the road from the campsite and drops down through the talus slopes to timbered Crystal Lake. Trout, flowers, and huckleberries can be found here under 6,153-foot Reeds Baldy. Hardy hikers can make the loop, continuing from Crystal Lake to Road 613. From here, the easy way to finish the loop is by hiking the road back to the trailhead. Scramblers can take the higher, harder route on the spur trail that heads north to a lake overlook and continue cross-country on the rugged, rocky ridge that goes up and drops back down to the trailhead. get the Idaho Panhandle Forests Fernan area map.
I happened to have unexpected free time to myself, so I chose this trail because it is only a 90-minute drive from Coeur d’Alene and is a short hike with only about 1,000’eg (for the loop). The description in the hiking text matches my experiences, except for the extremely crowded campground that was trashed. It was so overwhelming that I felt intimidated getting out of my vehicle and then worried about leaving my vehicle behind to find Crystal Lake. To add to the discomfort, the first 0.5 mile included some douche canoe and his drone hiking and flying near me.
I think that the overcrowded and rowdy campground was mostly, or all, people who were there for off-roading and partying, not hiking, so after the annoying drone and its owner had turned around, I felt like I had the forest to myself. It was beautiful. Crystal Lake Trail is pretty rugged, and the views are only incredible the entire way. Like all of our backcountry treasures, the snow lingers long, and when I got to the lake, I enjoyed watching sheets of snow falling from the mountainside into the water. Despite the anxiety I felt when I arrived at the campground trailhead, all was well when I returned to my vehicle, even if it appeared to be that there was even more trash than there had been when I arrived. The reality I choose in this situation is that the recreators responsible for the chaos at the campground took appropriate actions and when you go there to experience this beautiful place, it will be the pristine piece of wilderness you deserve.
