Redfish Lake to Alpine Lake

Love this trail - big views, difficult but not toooo hard, not very busy. A real gem. Backpacked in June 20, 2020, it was awesome. Beautiful weather, some snow still up at the lake - perfect to cool a beer in. We called ahead to the lodge to make sure the ferries were running (they were) and it was easy peasy to figure the process out when we arrived. We looked online to see departure times For the ferry at Redfish Lodge, then just payed and told them our estimated return time. We ended up actually returning on an earlier ferry the next day and they just marked our names as “returned”. Simple and beautiful.

Beautiful day and hike

Awesome hike nice breeze very few people on the trail

Please note. We had a bit of a time finding the marina where the boat across the lake leaves from. We followed the directions on the AllTrails app which took us to a road that was blocked by jersey barriers. Don't follow those directions. Follow the directions to the Redfish Lake Lodge. That is where the waterfront is located. I gave this hike four stars because I didn't think the Alpine Lake was all that spectacular, by Idaho Lake standards, and while the ride across the lake is nice, it isn't cheap and in our case there was a big crowd looking to return at 3:00 and multiple boats were required, so we spent about 1/2 hours waiting. The boats are advertised as "on demand" but there is a fair amount of waiting involved. The hike is nice but not really exceptional IMO.

No one is being explicit about this, YOU HAVE TO TAKE A FERRY TO THE TRAILHEAD! It's $14 per person. We read the reviews and people just said, "the boat ride was nice!" I just assumed they played on boats at the lake, because who in the hell would guess correctly that you can't actually drive to a trailhead. So from our perspective; alltrails says its 10.5 miles and starts at redfish lake, we start at redfish lake trailhead and get going. 5 miles later we aren't even at the other side of the lake and its been a mediocre hike. We don't generally bring money on hikes so we couldn't take the ferry back, lol. Completely wasted day because there is absolutely no indication that you have to pay a fortune for a f**kin boat ride to hike a trail... So this trail is more like 20 miles. 10.5 miles only if you pay more than you would for dinner to get a ride across a lake. This really should be explicitly stated in the description.

We didn't actually go to Alpine lake. Our destination was the flat Rock area to go down the natural slide. Great hike and the kids loved the water slide

Great trail. I loved the views all the way up. The lake was really pretty with a Mountain View. The boat ride to the trail was fun. You just need to watch your time so that you can make it back for the return boat ride.

Lake is beautiful however the views on the way up may be even better. This is a lung buster.

Excellently maintained trail. As opposed to many of the nearby hikes, no scrambling needed - just one foot in front of the other and you’ll make it. The path through the wildflowers and across an overlook or two keep this interesting. And the lake at the top makes it all worth it! We did a quick swim and the water is crystal clear (but cold, naturally). Lots of little spots to have a sit next to the water and read or have lunch. Some mosquitos so bring bug juice. The boat ride over was pricey but on time and a nice way to see the lake (and most people respectfully put on masks). All around great day!

Loved this hike! We backpacked here & stayed one night- would have been good to stay another to explore baron lakes! The lake was perfect besides the bugs- those got really bad the later it got. The lookout about a mile out from the lake is to die for!

My wife and I found this hike very satisfying for its varied terrain and beautiful views featuring cool forests, streams, waterfalls, majestic mountains, huge boulders and a picturesque Alpine Lake at the end. This out and up and back took us about 5 hours. Some challenging switchbacks over the last mile or so. Late June trail conditions were excellent. Highly recommended, among the many amazing hikes in the Stanley-Redfish Lake area.

Gradual climb to end. Than lots of switch backs. Nice lake But there are nicer. Long and challenging in end. Approach is nice in valley. Some really nice vistas. Nice spots to see and photograph river.

6/25: Overall nice hike with great views and a fun lake at the end. Not super strenuous because the elevation gain is spread out There’s some elevation gain in the first and last portions, but there’s a long flatish portion in between. We did this as a day hike: parked at the lodge and took a boat across the lake to the trailhead (a bit of a racket at 19$ per person but straightforward I guess)

I am an out-of-shape mother of two and my husband is a mountain goat, and we both loved this hike. It took us 4 hours to get to the alpine lake, taking our time, takiing lots of pictures, and enjoying the incredible views. There is still a bit of snow for the last little bit, some water running down the trail, and ice on the lake, but none of that posed any serious issues. The return hike took us two hours at a pretty quick pace so we could catch the 3 pm shuttle boat back. Definitely worth the time!

Incredible backpacking trip to Alpine lake. After the easy trip across the Redfish lake, we set-up camp on the best spot on the lake for 2 nights, and had the area all to ourselves. Great opportunity for day-hikes around the area. Saw a HUGE fish zooming around Alpine lake. The stars at night were breathtaking and views that are tough to beat.

Awesome trail. Well kept. You have to cross tiny streams of water (melted snow) several times but shallow and with rocks so even sneakers are good. Switchbacks at the very beginning and almost at the very end. Very smooth! Rather easy hike. You do have to take a boat to get to the start of this trail, and they don’t run year round. Check out the Redfish Lodge Marina website for information on the shuttle. Alternatively, you can add 5 miles to your hike (each way. Check the Redfish Lake trail)

This was truly an awesome hike !! It started with a scenic boat ride to trailhead. FYI, go to Red River lodge, at end of Marina dock they will check u in and make sure you get on return boat; $17 round trip, $12 one way and otherwise is 4.5 mile hike to trailhead.(AllTrails : please add this info to trail description). Agree with previous reviews- this trail has everything. Mountains, flowing rivers, wildflowers, wildlife (deer, birds and butterflies), snow and gorgeous lake at end. It is 6 miles each way per my GPS. It is challenging, but not extremely difficult.

Great hike.

Absolute ass-kicker for me, but well worth it for the views and sense of accomplishment. The creeks are flowing like rivers right now.

dope!

Amazing trail. I started out early around 8:30 so there was no wait for a boat and it was quite chilly to start (around 50 degrees). Love the boat ride to and from. Very moderate trail with a steady set of switchbacks that lead to the lake. I wasn’t paying attention and walked past it so keep a lookout to the left after the trail levels out again. The lake is turquoise blue and refreshing for a swim. Enjoy!

Probably one of the most beautiful hikes in the Sawtooths. The trail itself is scenic not to mention Alpine Lake. Just hiked this with my dogs in late June; very little snow at the lake this year compared to years past. Lots of sun hiking through the canyon, make sure you wear your sunscreen!

Absolutely incredible trail, very well maintained and just breathtakingly beautiful in every direction. We spent two days up at Alpine lake June 13th and 14th, the weather was great and trail was clear until you reach the lake where there’s still a lot of snow, but is still very accessible.

Camped at the Redfish Inlet campground and day hiked this route up to Alpine Lake. From the main trailhead the markers state it's 5.7 miles up to the lake, which would make this a round trip of 11.4 miles. Gorgeous views and not too difficult until the final ascent.

Phenomenal day hike. Excellent views, scenery, well-kept dirt trail and not heavily trafficked. At one point about midway up, you are on a ridge with a drop off to Redfish Lake and a huge view of the mountains in the distance on your left and the Sawtooth's snow capped peaks looming up on your right. Plan for some time to hang out and enjoy alpine lake at the top. We did not, and didn't have much time before we had to scurry back down before it got dark. There was still plenty of snow and ice near the lake when we hiked this in early June.

This hike has it all... forests, lakes, river, waterfalls, hillside of flowers blooming in very late July, sawtooth formation mountains on both sides of trail, snow views and a steady, nice gradual climb. We did not see many people. Do note, you should take a boat from the Redfish Lodge to get to the start of the trail head. We just showed up and got on a boat right away. Also got lucky that the boat arrived early on our return (4:15pm) and took us back on the spot (as opposed to waiting for 5pm). This was an all out beautiful day hike from start to finish. Bring plenty of water. We tracked it at 11.4 miles roundtrip (we did walk a bit around Alpine Lake to find a quiet spot for lunch and to soak our feet). When you get to the last of the switchbacks, look to your left to see a rock ledge; great view looking back at the valley toward Redfish Lake.