Bench Lake

The Sawtooth National Recreation Area (SNRA) is a stunning outdoor destination in central Idaho, covering about 756,000 acres of rugged wilderness. It features the Sawtooth Mountains, White Cloud Mountains, and Boulder Mountains, along with over 700 miles of trails, 40 peaks over 10,000 feet, and over 300 high alpine lakes.  Popular trails include Alice-Toxaway Loop, Sawtooth Lake, and Goat Lake.  There are numerous campgrounds in the wilderness, including Redfish Lake, Stanley Lake, and Alturas Lake.

This hike near Stanley, Idaho is to the Bench Lakes, a series of four lakes just west of Redfish Lake. A short side trail from the Redfish Lake Trail takes you to the Bench Lakes which are 3.1 miles from the visitor’s center. You’ll climb to a maximum of 6840 feet during this hike and have a chance to explore a number of high alpine lakes.  The trail to Bench Lake is less crowded than other hikes in the park but it still has outstanding scenery and you can leave right from the visitor’s center.