Hike To Lake Dorothy

Get out of town and into the wild with this easy hike. Starting out fast you feel the solitude as soon as you turn off Highway 2 towards Money Creek Campground with a little under 10 miles of dirt road that winds through old forest growth. As you proceed and get closer to the trailhead the potholes begin to grow which will slow down your driving.

Once you reach the trailhead, depending on your time of arrival and what day of the week you are visiting, parking can either result to be a dream or a complete nightmare. Due to the size of the parking lot and the popularity of the trail, my suggestion is to go during the week and/or early in the day if you can. As you begin your adventure be sure to stop by the bulletin board at the entrance of the trail to see if any recent trail reports have been posted giving a description of the trip up.

This trail consists of three lakes; Dorothy, Bear and Deer, but this adventure only features the first (Lake Dorothy). At a mere 800ft elevation gain and under 2 miles each way, this destination makes a great hike for beginners or hikers looking to start the season with a warm-up hike. The well maintained trail begins with a slight incline that's sure to get your legs warmed up. After a mile you will reach a bridge to cross Camp Robber Creek, use this opportunity for a quick break and take a few pictures of the roaring river.

Use this point as your halfway marker, from here to the lake is made up of switchbacks that you're going to want to be sure to take your time on. Go at a  slow and easy pace, even though it's a mile, the elevation will get to you if you're lungs have been out of practice. 

Once at the top you will come to a fork in the road with a sign which indicates: going right leads to the "Outlet Spur" offering a view point that allows you to get a full view clear across the lake from a log jam, and, going left to "Inlet" and "Bear Lake" which will guide you around the lake (reference picture of the map). The "Outlet Spur" is as far as my feet took me, until I go back out for some camping adventures.