Hyatt Lake is a "deluxe" apline lake with white sand beaches lining the northern and southern shores. Make sure to get an early start so you can spend the afternoon (or even a couple days) relaxing on the beach or swimming around the lake. One thing to note about Hyatt is that there are NO ESTABLISHED trails to the lake and getting there will require significant off-trail hiking. 

Details

Sample Itinerary:

  • ​Friday Morning: Depart from San Francisco. Drive 3 hours to the Summit Ranger Station to pick up a permit. Permits are free and do not need to be reserved in advance. After picking up the permit, drive 1.5 hours to the Bourland Meadow trailhead.
  • Friday: Follow the path north for roughly one mile before leaving the trail to head down to the West Fork of the Cherry Creek. This is the trickiest part of the hike as you will be walking through the forest without a clear landmark to guide you. After about a mile the forest will clear out and you should see the West Fork of the Cherry Creek ahead. Make your way down to the West Fork of the Cherry Creek. As you make your way down to the creek, note the saddle to your left. This is where you will want to go. After hitting the West Fork, hike up to the saddle. After you hit the saddle, hike north, making sure to cross over to the ridge to your right. This part is key as the second ridge will avoid a significant amount of bush wacking. You will pass a small lake on your left before hitting Hyatt Lake. Total Mileage of around ~7 miles. 
  • Friday Afternoon: Relax and swim. 
  • Saturday Morning: Hike ~7 miles back to Bourland Meadow.
  • Saturday Afternoon: ​Drive ~4.5 hours back to San Francisco.

Hike Specific Info:

  • Bear Canister: You are required to either hang your food or store it in a bear cannister.
  • Permit: Required. Pick one up at the Summit Ranger Station.
  • Off-Trail Hiking: Do not attempt unless you have significant hiking experience. If you get lost you may die. Ability to navigate using a map and compass is a must. Do not rely on your phone's GPS!!!

Footnotes:

  1. When hiking off-trail, always plan to spend a significant amount of time figuring out where to go. You will be nowhere near as fast as when you hike along an established trail.
  2. The West Fork of the Cherry Creek is extremely picturesque and it is a great place to camp and explore. Consider altering your itinerary if you start falling behind schedule. 
  3. The last 10 miles to get to the Bourland Meadow trailhead is on a dirt road. Subaru's and SUV's will do just fine but ask the ranger about road conditions if you plan on bringing a sedan.