Joe Lake Loop

Work your way up the Gold Creek Valley and then enjoy a smooth ride back along the PCT on this 21-mile loop. Getting from the Alaska Lake junction up to the PCT is a bit of a challenge, with steep brushy trails and a short chunk of cross-country, but totally worth doing for the elegance of tying this loop together. Alaska and Joe Lakes are rarely-visited gems and the views along the PCT are hard to beat.

Distance: 21 miles for loop alone and about 23 with the recommended sidetrips to Alaska Lake and Mountain

Elevation Gain: Around 5,500' feet of gain for the loop and 6,700' with both sidetrips

Maps and More:

• 1x31,680 scale (1 inch = 0.5 mile)
• Mileage, elevation gain, and route details

Overview Map:



Trailhead: https://goo.gl/maps/ch7kj

The Alaska Lake junction

A waterfall just below Joe Lake

Looking up at the PCT from Joe Lake. The recommended cross-country path is 

through the brush and up the open slopes on the right side of the picture

Looking back down at Joe Lake from the PCT

More information:
http://www.wta.org/go-hiking/hikes/little-joe-lake

http://www.wta.org/go-hiking/hikes/gravel-lake

http://www.hikingwithmybrother.com/2010/07/gold-creek-trail-1314-to-alaska-lake.html
http://www.summitpost.org/alaska-mountain/516504

http://www.hikingwithmybrother.com/2009/08/kendall-katwalk-peak.html
http://www.wta.org/go-hiking/hikes/kendall-katwalk