Tamarack Lake, seen here Sept. 11, 2017, sits on a hiking loop in the Uinta Mountains southwest of Manilla, Utah. Photo by Nate Carlisle/The Salt Lake Tribune
The northeast corner of the Uintah Mountains doesn’t receive as much attention or traffic as the stretch of tree-lined spires closer to Salt Lake City.
But along the Utah-Wyoming-Colorado line is the kind of alpine hiking and fishing vacation guides are made of. The Tamarack and Jessen Lake Trail is a good hike for families or someone who wants a flat path after a long drive.
Directions • From Manilla, Utah, take State Route 43 west into Wyoming. There, the road becomes Highway 414. About 16 miles from Manilla, turn south onto McKinnon Road and follow it 2.2 miles back into Utah. In Utah, the road becomes Forest Service Road 221, also known as Birch Creek Road. The road turns into gravel and winds south and east up the mountain. Follow Road 221 about 11 miles and turn south again onto Forest Service Road 001, also known as Spirit Lake Road. Follow that another 6 1/2 miles. The trailhead is on the south side of the Spirit Lake.
From Utah’s State Road 44, turn east onto the gravel Forest Service Road 221 and follow it for 14 miles. Then turn south onto onto Forest Service Road 001 and begin following the directions as discussed above.
The hike • From the trailhead, follow the signs east and south to Tamarack and Jessen lakes. At 0.3 miles, you will come to a meadow and a small bridge taking you across a creek. At 0.7 miles is a junction where a trail loop begins. Most people follow the sign north to go to Tamarack Lake first. You will reach it at 1.3 miles. Stay on the trail and at 1.8 miles you will reach the smaller Jessen Lake. Keep hiking past Jessen Lake and you will finish the loop and soon be back at the junction.
Destination: Tamarack and Jessen lakes
Hiking Time: 1 hour 45 minutes
Distance: 3.1 miles
Elevation gain: 282 feet
Difficulty: Easy
Trailhead restrooms: Yes
Dogs allowed: Yes
Bikes allowed: N/A
Fees: No
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