Consolation Lakes

Past the beauty of Lake Moraine, Consolation Lake is a gorgeous hidden gem. Though close to Lake Moraine, not as many people choose to venture past the paved path and into the forest. If you want to see two beautiful views and lakes in one day, visit Lake Moraine as well as Consolation Lake! 

Starting from the same parking lot as Lake Moraine, follow the path past the huge rock pile (top is Lake Moraine viewing point), and continue on the trail. There should be a sign pointing you straight when the trail splits up to the viewing point, continue straight from here and you should almost immediately hit a rocky part of the trail (pictures above). Once you hit the rocky part, you are on the right trail and should continue forward. 

Most of the trail is fairly easy on the feet, with some roots here and there, however you must access the trail over what looks to be an old avalanche of rocks, and to access the lake at the end of the trail is also a scramble over very large boulders. Once over the rocky beginning of the trail, it begins with a rather consistent incline for about 15 minutes, then it levels off to a fairly flat trail, so it is great for families, couples and older explorers, that can traverse the rocky beginning.  Most of the hike you are walking through a forest, but near the end, you will come across a field, which in the early summer is covered by beautiful wildflowers. Soon after you will come to a gorgeous view, you can see mountains and a small lake/marshy area (while we were there it was more marshy than full with water). You will also see a ton of huge boulders covering the area, which partially obscure your view of the lake. 

You can either enjoy the view from the beginning of the boulders, or the most fun way is to scamper across the rocks and go sit on the edge of the lake. In June, you can occasionally hear avalanches happening high up in The 10 Peaks, and while we were there in June, there were a few patches of snow left  a quarter of the way around the lake. We stayed for almost 2 hours enjoying the beauty, and eating our lunch!

During the summer bears are active and I would highly recommend bringing bear spray and knowing how to use it. At the beginning of the trail, there'll be a sign telling you the rules regarding bears. Sometimes you are required to hike in groups of 4+ or face a fine of $5,000. They do this for your safety, as bears are dangerous!