I first visited Lake Alpine in the summer of 2013 at the suggestion of a friend who had visited the area. After a short but difficult hike, we made it to the top of a mountain just northeast of the lake where the view was absolutely stunning.
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| Looking southwest toward Lake Alpine, about 1.5 miles away. That is Inspiration Point to the left of the lake. |
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| Looking further south from the same location. That is Inspiration Point on the right side of the image. |
I actually have not done very much at the actual lake, just the areas surround the lake. I have only done some day hikes and car camping in the area. However, I have done enough here to be able to tell that it is a great place to visit.
To navigate the area, I use a compass and National Geographic Trails Illustrated Map 807. This map offers both topographical data and shows all of the major trails in the area. There are trails all around the area in just about any direction. If you like to do any hiking at all, you can finding something in the area that you will enjoy, whether it is a short day hike or a week long backpacking trip. There are also plenty of places for car camping, whether you want to pay for a campsite or do some primitive camping.
As far as weather goes, it tends to be fairly cool here in the summer. Low 80's is typically the hottest it gets here, but it is usually in the 70's. I have not yet been here in any other time of year to gauge the weather.
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| Setting out on a group hike. |
This can also be a decent area if you want to do some target shooting, though some precautions must be taken. First, make sure you follow all state and federal laws. Do your homework on what is legal. Second, while it is generally legal to shoot in a National Forest, there are wilderness areas to the north and south of the area where it is only legal to discharge a firearm if you are (legally) hunting. This is where the map comes in handy because it shows the boundaries for the wilderness areas. Lastly, make sure you pick a good spot where you are in an open area with a good backdrop and that you are not shooting over or near any trails. Again, the map will help you here. I am not going to suggest any specific locations to shoot, but I will suggest you drive past the lake at least half a mile before looking for a spot.
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| Beautiful Lake Alpine. |
I have only had two visits to Lake Alpine and I feel like I have barely scratched the surface of the area. I am looking forward to many more visits here in the future. If you enjoy the outdoors, I highly recommend a visit to Lake Alpine. If anyone has any questions about visiting Lake Alpine, let me know in the comments and I will do my best to help.
