Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
ranger-led wildflower and naturalist walks that depart every morning from the Taggart
Lake Trailhead.
Avalanche Canyon & Lake Taminah
Duration
6-7 hours
Distance
11 miles
Difficulty
Difficult
Elevation Change
2300ft
Start/Finish
Taggart Lake Trailhead (
Click here
)
Nearest Junction
Moose Junction
Summary
This challenging hike runs the gamut of good stuff: lake swims, waterfalls and
killer views.
Park at the
Taggart Lake Trailhead
, where there's a convenient toilet. Take the shortest
route to Taggart Lake, branching right initially then left after 1.1 miles. At Taggart Lake
branch right toward
Bradley Lake
.
Curving around the north side of Taggart Lake, you'll lose sight of the lake shortly be-
fore the faint left-hand turnoff to Avalanche Canyon - if you start to climb the moraine
hill to Bradley Lake, you've gone too far.
The trail heads up
Avalanche Canyon
, past steep fern-thick inclines, with views ahead
to 11,490ft Mt Wister. As the trail becomes increasingly wet, you'll first hear and then see
Taggart Creek
. There's a good chance of spotting moose here. At the head of the valley,
about 2½ hours from the trailhead, look for the waterfalls up both branches of the valley -
you are headed right for
Shoshoko Falls
.
The trail winds up a steep talus slope to the right of the falls and, once you have gained
most of the elevation, swings left up a small gully to meet remote
Lake Taminah
. Ap-
proach the falls to get great views down the valley. The ascent takes about 3½ hours.
Return the way you came. At the junction with the main Taggart-Bradley Lake Trail,
you can head back to the trailhead, though it's worth detouring to
Bradley Lake
on the
Bradley Lake Trail - this only adds an extra 0.7 miles (30 minutes) and it provides more
secluded swim spots. From Bradley Lake it's 2 miles back to the trailhead.
