The alarm didn’t have to go off, I rolled out of bed around 7am. After dropping my daughter off at school I stopped by my favorite coffee stand and got an americano to go. I quickly found I90 making my way east toward Idaho. Eventually I found exit 0 at the summit of Lookout Pass directly on the border between Idaho, and Montana. After a short traffic delay due to road construction I soon found the lonely trailhead for Copper Lake 2.1 miles down a dusty road. 

I swapped out my sandals for boots and picked up trail 265 which is actually wide enough to accommodate machines. The path started out pretty tame but after a couple hundred yards made a switchback before picking up the grade, the next quarter mile of trail was the steepest of the whole trek. About a half mile up the trail the drum of I90 gave way to the sweet sound of wind through the trees and bird song. 

The trail crossed a couple small springs then eventually reached the site of the old Upper Amazon Dixie Mine which operated through the 1910s, and 20s extracting lead, zinc, silver, gold, and copper. In its heyday it was quite the operation complete with underground stopes, ore cars on tracks, blacksmith shops, and timber sheds. Today all that is left is a pile of dirt and rock, presumed to be mine tailings. If you find yourself on the trail to Copper Lake, take the time to stand atop the mound of dirt at the old mine to gain impressive views down the canyon toward Burke Summit, Ford Hill and Taft Peak. 

Leaving the mine behind I continued up the trail where I was quickly greeted by downed trees, it was impressive, some sort of microburst must have come down from the Bitterroot Divide uprooting trees like they were toothpicks. My progress slowed as I negotiated the 32 downed trees that required me to go up and over, crawl below or scramble around. Beyond the downed trees the sound of the outlet creek made its way to my ears before eventually finding Copper Lake, a shallow gem shimmering through the trees, elevation 4,983 feet. I made my way down to a nice well used camp, and just beyond the fire ring found the lakeshore. I approached quietly in the hopes of spotting wildlife but found her shoreline empty. I made my way over to the outlet and found a good seat on a worn downed tree. I dropped my pack and retrieved my water bottle.

Copper Lake is small at only 3.5 acres and has a max depth of only 7 feet, therefore green algae could be seen on the lake bottom. The cutthroat trout cruising along just below the surface didn’t seem to care. I took in the view, enjoyed the solitude, it’s rare to have an alpine lake all to yourself, in some ways it makes up for the less than desirable setting. The older I get the less I want company while in the backcountry, silence is peace. At one point I heard rocks falling but when looking up couldn’t find any wildlife that could be responsible, but I did spot a bird of prey climbing the cirque on thermals before settling on the top of a tree near the divide to the neighboring drainage. Copper Lake was the perfect ticket, with the northwest blanketed in smoke from one of the worst wildfire seasons on record, the wind had shifted just enough to leave me under blue skies. Before long it was time to go, and after a short log hop I found myself back on the trail heading down hill. After navigating the network of downed trees I made quick work of the trail to my lonely car. 

It’s been a long time since I’ve had a trail all to myself, what a treat. Copper Lake is a nice walk when the good stuff isn’t an option due to bad weather, smoke, or limited time. This would make a delightful pit stop if you were passing through the area and needed a place to stretch your legs along interstate 90. The hike was about 3 miles round trip with 700 feet of elevation gain. On the way home I made a pit stop at Elmers Fountain near the Gold Creek exit just east of Wallace, Idaho. Here you will find two elaborate fountains built with salvaged mining equipment by former miner Elmer Almquist. There is also a drinking fountain that is used as a fill station for passer byers looking for fresh mountain spring water. The source of the spring lies above in the mountains at Gold Lake, the water is funneled through vertical mine shafts to the road side attraction. For more pictures click the link. Copper Lake Hike Photos