Island Lake via Ice Lake Trail

Cappie’s Scoop: I made mom slide down the mountain on her butt in the snow – it was so much fun to watch! Most of the trail was dry but then we kept hiking and eventually found snow, my favorite! The lake was also covered in snow and ice so I couldn’t swim in it or get very close. Mom said we’ll come back in the summer when I can swim and I told her “it’s a deal!” Don’t hesitate to add YOUR scoop in the comments below!

Tips: There are a number of amazing lakes in the Ice Lake Basin that you can hike to from this trailhead! There is even an option to do a bit of a loop to some of the lakes to include Island Lake, Ice Lake, and Fuller Lake. That route is about 8.6 miles with 3,070 ft elevation gain. You can also shorten this loop to hike just to Island Lake and Ice Lake which is about 7 miles with 2,650 ft elevation gain going clockwise. On this hike, we only hiked to Island Lake at 12,400 ft and back which is reflected in this post. Plus, dogs can be on leash or off-leash under voice control.

Directions: From the town of Silverton, head towards and turn slight right onto US-550 North. In about 2 miles, turn left onto Co Rd 7/Forest Rd 585. Continue down this dirt road passing dispersed camping sites and an established campground. The trailhead parking lot will be on your right in about 4.4 miles.