Moose Lake Loop

Hidden in the eastern reaches of Kaniksu National Forest, this leisurely 7-mile loop pushes toward Blacktail Lake before climbing up Moose Mountain and dropping down to Moose Lake. Start by heading southwest on the Moose Creek Trail from the parking lot at the end of Forest Service Road 1022. After 0.6 mile, turn right on the Blacktail Lake Trail and begin climbing up a hill separating Blacktail Lake and Moose Lake. At mile 2.4, bear left to hit the Moose Mountain Trail (the right fork brings downhill to Blacktail Lake, 0.6 mile away). Moose Mountains peak is preceded by a revealing ridgeline serving up vistas of both nearby lakes and the surrounding mountain country. Once at the peak, the trail bends to the east while descending another ridge toward Moose Lake. Along the way, youll hike down a staircase of rock, through a clearing and past marshland encroaching the lake's shore. Primitive campsites are situated elsewhere along the lakes shoreline, and the lake itself provides fishing for small, yet active, brook trout. Return to the trailhead via looping back with the Moose Creek Trail.