THE LOCAL SCENE + FOOD: Cody’s Gastro Garage, Café Sabor, and LaBeau’s + RENTALS: Epic Recreation 201 N Bear Lake Blvd, 435-946-3742 + LODGING: Epic Getaways (has a swimming pool) + INFO: Bear Lake Visitor Bureau, 69 N Paradise Parkway, 435-946-2197
> WALL LAKE is located along the Mirror Lake
Scenic Byway and is just one of the hundreds of high elevation lakes in the Uinta Mountains. The route to Wall Lake is an easy 1 mile hike from the Crystal Lake Trailhead, located 26-miles from Kamas. July-September is the best time to visit this high (10,144 feet) elevation destination. WHY WE LOVE IT: Cool temps, clear water, great fishing, and cliff jumping.
TRAIL NOTES: From the Crystal Lake Trailhead, look for the sign for the Notch Mountain trail. There are several hikes that start from this area so be sure find the correct starting point. This is a fairly popular spot so be sure to arrive early if planning to go on a weekend. Or plan to visit midweek to avoid the crowds. The cliffs on the far side of lake are great spot for cliff jumping for the older kids. Don’t forget your bug spray, this area can be a hotbed for mosquitos. This is considered a backcountry hike, so again, please be fully prepared and know that there is no cell service in this area. THE LOCAL SCENE – KAMAS + FOOD: Samak Smokehouse, The State Road Tavern, and Summit Pizza & Ice Cream + RENTALS: Canoes at Samak Smokehouse + SHOP: ARTique and Jans Outlet + INFO: Kamas Ranger Station, 50 E. Center Street, Kamas, 435-783-4338
Stewardship
Now is a time to be aware, be kind and be good stewards of the places we play. Leave No Trace is a national outdoor ethics program providing research, education, and initiatives so every person who ventures outside can protect and enjoy the outdoors responsibly. The 7 Leave No Trace Principles are: Plan Ahead and Prepare, Travel and Camp on Durable Surfaces, Dispose of Waste Properly, Leave What You Find, Minimize Campfire Impacts, Respect Wildlife, and Be Considerate of Other Visitors. Plan Ahead and Prepare – Now more than ever before we need to do our research on the places we plan to visit. Sometimes this may require a good old-fashioned phone call to the land managing agency (BLM, Forest Service, State Parks) or the county tourism office. These are the professionals that can give you the latest and greatest information to make your adventure better and ease your mind during these uncertain times. Travel and Camp on Durable Surfaces – When choosing a place to set up your tent or park your trailer, be kind to the delicate landscape and choose an area that has been used before. In the desert, this is especially important, due to Cryptobiotic Crust, which is made up of living organisms that protects and stabilizes the soil from wind and water erosion. If you bust the crust, it dies, and could take hundreds of years to recover. When hiking, always stay on the trail and Be Kind to the surrounding ecosystem that can easily be damaged when venturing off trail. Dispose of Waste Properly – If you pack it in…Be Kind and pack it out. This applies to litter, orange peels, apple cores, tissues, and even #2. Our public lands are getting well used these days and many dispersed camping areas are seeing hundreds of people every year. If you are camping in one of these areas and are not “fully contained” with a bathroom, plan on adding a camp toilet to the list. A DIY version can easily be made with a 5-gallon bucket, toilet set, compostable bags, and some eco/bio-gel. And for those needing a little privacy, add a portable pop-up shelter to the list. All of this can be purchased for less than $100 at Walmart or Amazon. Be Considerate of Other Visitors – Share the trail and Be Kind to other users. Know the rules of trail etiquette and who yields to whom, especially on non-motorized multi-use trails that are open to hikers, bikers, and horseback riders. Both hikers and bikers yield to horseback riders, mountain bikers yield to hikers, and lastly, downhill mountain bikers yield to everyone, including uphill mountain bikers. Always be considerate, and if you are a more experienced adventurer, be kind and considerate to new trail users and families.
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