Chasm Lake

Awesome time with the family. Great scenery. Very moderate hike. There was rock climbing and even so people with skiis. I recommend spikes for your hiking shoes. The path at times is covered with ice/snow. Please pack accordingly. Not kid friendly, but worth the visit. 4.25 miles to the lake and 4.25 miles for turnaround. Elevation is high every step we take. I didn't see any dogs/pets at the lake. Be safe, everyone.

Amazing hike. Great out & back. Can be done in a half day easy. We went mid-Oct and upper section was pretty icy but we scrambled over the available rocks so it ended up being pretty manageable.

(Hiked early October 2023) Trail is in great condition! Watch out for the (completely avoidable) ice in the very short scramble section. Parking lot was packed at 9am, cars all the way down the road. When I got back around 1pm, the lot was already starting to empty.

Everything I saw about this trail stated the trail, out and back, is 8.8 miles long. I tracked half of it at 5 miles (my phone was about to die before turning back), for a total of 10 miles. More than 2,000 miles of elevation gain. The trail is composed of three sections- forest, tundra, and bouldering and took us about 7 hours to complete (including several breaks, lunch, and time to enjoy the lake). All colors of wildflowers line the path along the way along with several gorgeous waterfalls and brooks. Probably the most beautiful and diverse hike I've been on. This was more difficult than I expected. I read several reviews on AllTrails and knew it would be challenging, but didn't expect this level of difficulty. Also important to note that I'm from the flatland St. Louis area, so my lungs definitely are not acclimated to the high elevation. The lake at the very end was incredible. It felt like a movie getting there. The very last stretch of the trail takes you to a bouldering section where you must climb to reach the lake. The lake is imperceptible until you climb over the boulders. My sister and I swam in the lake, I would guess the water was 40 degrees Fahrenheit. HIGHLY recommend starting as early in the day as possible to avoid afternoon thunderstorms. We got caught in one and feared for our lives. 🙃 We made it down safely, but slid quite a bit on wet rock.

Beautiful hike in the summer and very challenging hike in the winter. It took me a few attempts as the snow was so high the trail was impassable. Expect to make your own trail and blizzard like conditions. Very rewarding though and highly recommend it.

Great hike with about a 2K elevation gain. When we hiked, there were three sections we needed to cross that were covered in snow. Totally doable, but I would recommend spikes, just to be safe. The last .18 miles to the top to get to the lake is mainly climbing up rocks. In total, with a one hour break at the top, it took our group about 6 1/2 hours to complete. Would definitely recommend starting earlier due to the parking lot filling up quite quickly. The longer you wait to do this hike the further you will have to park away from the trail head.

Chasm Lake is a great adventure that can be grueling but is always worth it. The lake itself is beautiful and I love doing it at sunrise due to the way the light hits the granite surrounding the lake. You get exposed quickly after coming out of the forest as well so it can get hot pretty fast. There is a lot of beauty on the way to the lake so it is a picture paradise. The trek to Chasm is even better in the snow in my opinion although it can get very windy and cold. This is a great journey any time of the year and I highly recommend this hike!

Short strenuous hike with all around great views. Took us about 4hrs to get up and down. Water was freezing. A few sketchy ice/snow patch crossings. Other than that trail was great and easy to follow.