Heart Lake Trail

Dogs Leashed

Features Fall Colors · Lake · River/Creek · Swimming · Views · Waterfall · Wildflowers · Wildlife

From the parking area, the trail climbs up a gradual grade to reach Heart Lake in about a mile.

If you are determined, you can make your way around the lake by following an on-again-off-again trail that somewhat follows the shoreline. The trail is eroding into the lake on the east side, it can be hard to follow around the south side, and there are a few braids to choose from along the west side.

Runners are probably best served by treating this as a simple 2-mile out-and-back (or up-and-down) run to the lake and back, skipping the circumnavigation of the lake. Ultimately, you don’t need to go around the lake to take in its beauty.

When you finish, take a small detour to walk through the Mammoth Consolidated Gold Mine interpretive site near the parking area. The partially restored site contains the original mining offices, assay office, mill, bunkhouses, schoolhouse, mining equipment and mine shafts that were in operation from 1927 to 1933.