Location: The trail to Red Castle Lake begins at China Meadows. From there you take the East Fork Smith Fork Trail (Trail #110) all the way to Red Castle Lake.
Time: 2-5 days overall. It takes about 6-10 hours each way, depending on how much you are carrying, and how fast you hike. You probably want to have one day to hike in, one day to hike out, and another day or two to rest in between.
Cost: variable (gas, food, supplies)
Description: The trail to Red Castle Lake and back covers a distance of 25 miles. The trailhead starts at China Meadows, and gains almost 2,000 feet before reaching Red Castle Lake (11,300 feet). We did the entire hike in 3 days.
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| our pack horses |
The first day, we hiked from China Meadows to a campsite east of Lower Red Castle Lake. The East Fork Smith Fork Trail (#110) runs due south all the way to Red Castle Lake. It follows along the river the entire way, crossing it a couple of times. The bridges across the river are very sturdy. Although you are almost continually climbing, the incline is very gradual. The trail is usually shrouded with pine trees, with meadows opening up from time to time. Keep an eye out for moose or deer. After about 4 miles, the trail to Lake Hessie (later joining the trail to Kings Peak) juts off to the east; but chances are you won't even notice it until on the way back. A little further on the trail again splits. This time there is a large brown sign indicating which trail to take (stay left toward Red Castle). After passing along the spacious Broadbent Meadow, the trail heads up a series of switchbacks. Be careful, because it is easy to miss the first switchback, so if the trail starts to peter out, go back and check. Shortly after the switchbacks, the trail is joined by the Bald Mountain Trail. Immediately after, you can either continue on south to Red Castle Lake, or turn east across the bridge. We crossed the bridge and followed the trail to a series of secluded campgrounds to the east of Lower Red Castle Lake (the second largest lake in the region). We found a nice spot in the trees next to a pond and a large meadow about half a mile above the lake. Our campsite had a gorgeous view of Red Castle Butte. Overall hiking for the day was about 6 hours.
The second day, we took day packs and fishing gear up to Red Castle Lake. The hike from Lower Red Castle Lake to Red Castle Lake is more strenuous, and you have to cross several small creeks by hopping from rock to rock, but at least we didn't have our heavy packs. The trail passes a series of ponds and even a beautiful waterfall before the steep climb up to the plateau on which Red Castle Lake is located. The lake dominates the plateau with Red Castle Butte on the east and Wilson Peak to the south. On the far side of the lake, up a slope of shale, is Upper Red Castle Lake. There are lots of fish in both lakes. Unfortunately, the day was really windy; so while some of our group caught several fish, others struggled with the wind and didn't catch any. Fortunately, even if you didn't catch any fish, there was plenty of beautiful scenery to enjoy. The hike from our campsite to Red Castle Lake and back was about 90 minutes each way.
The third day we packed up our campsite and headed back down the same trail. The main differences is that our packs were a little lighter, and we were heading downhill so we didn't need to make as many breaks. This time the main fork we had to worry about was the one that broke off to the east (right) toward Lake Hessie and Kings Peak. The hike from our campsite back to the trailhead was a little over five hours.
Rating: 4 stars (it would be five if the wind and rain didn't wake me up several times each night)
Things You Should Know: - The Uinta Mountain range is the only major mountain range on the continent to run east to west instead of north to south.
- There are a couple of different campgrounds at China Meadows where you can camp in order to get an early start. Each campsite costs $14/day, and holds up to 8 people and one vehicle. Campsites are available on a first-come first-serve basis.
- The trailhead has about 50 parking spaces and horse corrals. There are also clean pit toilets.
- Dogs and horses are allowed on the trail, but must be on a leash.
- This is a moderate hike for experienced backpackers. However, it is difficult for novices. Even though we had horses packing in our tents and food, several people in our group had a rough time with it. It would be a good idea to train those who haven't gone backpacking before by having them do some practice hikes (wearing their backpacks), and teaching them the proper way to pack and carry their packs.
- The trail is well used, and easy to follow when clear of snow. Unfortunately, trail conditions are generally muddy, particularly due to the horses. There are small wooden boardwalks over some of the worst mud holes, but there are many other spots (including right before or after the bridges) that are just as bad.
- An alternate trail to the lake if via the Bald Mountain Route. This route is more scenic, but is less popular because it is much more strenuous.
- When going on a backpacking trip, make sure you have at least one experienced backpacker in your group. People can die in the back country if they don't know what they are doing.
- The best camping spots are near Lower Red Castle Lake since Red Castle Lake is above the timber line.
- The meadows are marshy due to the frequent rain. The weather is very unpredictable and can change suddenly from sunshine, to heavy winds, to rain in a matter of minutes. Be prepared for each possibility even if going on a short hike.
- Although there is plenty of fresh water, it should always be treated by one method or another to avoid contracting giardia or another water-born illness.
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| filling up our water bottles |
- If there are people in your group who aren't used to high altitudes, they can be prone to altitude sickness. Keep an eye on them, and make sure they drink plenty of water and take frequent breaks.
- The trail to Red Castle Lake is usually covered in snow from November - June. The best time to hike to Kings Peak is in August and September. For current conditions, call the Evanston Ranger District at (307) 642-6662.
Nearby: Kings Peak, Fort Bridger, Mirror Lake, Flaming Gorge National Recreation Area
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