This hike in the Caribou Wilderness was absolutely perfect for celebrating the return of autumn. We reveled in the bright blue skies, early-fall colors, and soft breeze.
There were no blooming plants to speak of—a smattering of Indian paintbrush along the trail, and scattered tundra asters at the lakes—but seed heads were prolific, and foliage was beginning to put on its fall colors. A stand of quaking aspen near the trailhead was shimmering in yellows and greens; western blueberry at the lakes was turning rusty orange; and dogbane provided blasts of lemon yellow throughout the forest.
Starting at Cone Lake Trailhead, the trail gradually ascends through mostly open mixed-conifer forest. There are some truly magnificent tree specimens, mostly Jeffrey pines, along this first section of the trail.
The first lake along this trail is Triangle—a large and lovely lake, with several very nice campsites along its western edge.
We followed the trail along Triangle Lake’s eastern edge, and very soon came upon the largest of the Twin Lakes (there may be three of them; it is unclear), which is the smallest of the three lakes that we visited.
Another mile or so down the trail found us at Turnaround Lake. There must be a good story associated with its name, don’t you think? The blue-blue sky, clarity of the water, and brilliance of the blueberries made this one very picturesque lake.
At the far southern end of Turnaround Lake, the trail connects to Black Lake Loop. All three lakes can be easily circumnavigated via use trails. Triangle Lake has a marked trail all the way around, and on its northwestern edge the trail intersects with another trail that will take you into Lassen Volcanic National Park.
To get to Cone Lake Trailhead, take Forest Road 10, immediately south of Bogard Visitor Center and Rest Area, off Highway 44. Follow the signs to Cone Lake along this dirt road for about 8.5 miles, where it ends at the trailhead and a large parking area.
We highly recommend this lovely hike to Turnaround Lake. It is a moderately easy hike of ~6.5 miles round-trip and ~600 feet total elevation gain. So grab a hiking companion, take a picnic lunch, and celebrate fall! -Laurie & Don Burk
