Shell Lakes Trail #032

Dogs Off-leash

Features Birding · Fishing · Lake · River/Creek · Spring · Views · Waterfall · Wildflowers · Wildlife

Need a serious four-wheel drive vehicle to get here. Multiple creek crossings both on the road and trail.

First of all, you need a very durable four-wheel drive vehicle to get to the trailhead. The trail is very lightly traveled, but the views never get old throughout the entire hike. You pass by several lakes, the first being Shell Lake which is a gorgeous high alpine lakes with high peaks around it.

After you pass Shell Lake, you'll go by the Lakes of the Rough, which are home to bald eagles that hunt trout in the nearby lakes. The final destination, Emerald Lake, is high above the treeline with an abundance of trout species and of course, stunning scenery.

Despite there being multiple creek crossings, we only had to get our feet wet twice. The rest of them, you can easily hop boulders to get across the water -- but be prepared to get wet!

Mountain Wildflowers, Bald Eagles, Moose, Elk, Deer, Bear, and Pine Forest.