Trail Guide: Backpacking to Baron Lakes in Idaho from Redfish Lake
Plan an epic backpacking trip to Baron Lakes in Idaho’s Sawtooth Mountains with this detailed trail guide and trip report.
Several summers ago, Ryan and I spent a few weeks in Idaho’s Sawtooth Mountains and I had a chance to tick off a trail on my backpacking bucket list: Baron Lakes.
Baron Lakes is one of those iconic hikes in the Sawtooths with several high alpine lakes to choose from and wide-open views of the jagged Sawtooth Range. It’s stunning!
We spent three nights exploring the area and had a blast swimming in the lakes, playing fetch with our dog, and relaxing while taking in the magnificent views.
Sounds like a trip you’d like to do? This guide covers everything you need to know to successfully plan a backpacking trip to the Baron Lakes in Idaho.
Best Time to Visit Idaho’s Sawtooth Mountains
The best time to hike in the Sawtooth Mountains is from July through September. We hiked in late July and got hot days and cool nights and experienced very few bugs.
Snow can last through June, so if you visit in the early season, come prepared with proper equipment, navigation skills, and a high tolerance for bugs. Later in the season, there is a risk of smoky skies. Idaho is very dry and the fire season is getting longer.
Whenever you come, know that the Sawtooths can be very chilly at night, even in the height of summer.
Read next: Need a new sleeping bag to keep you warm on cold nights? Check out our favorite lightweight sleeping bag for backpacking.
Redfish Lake to Baron Lake Basics
Trail Basics
Getting to the trailhead
The adventure to Baron Lake starts with just getting to the trailhead! You can several options:
- You can walk 4 miles around Redfish Lake to the trailhead or
- You can take the water taxi
The Redfish Lake Marina has a water taxi service that’ll deliver you to the base of the Sawtooth Mountains. You don’t have to arrange a reservation ahead of time; instead, just show up and they will shuttle you over as long as there are two or more people.
They do, however, have set pick-up times on the other side when you’re returning. Those times are 9am, 12pm, 3pm, 5pm and 7pm; 7 days a week from Memorial Day Weekend to mid-October.
The Redfish hiker boat shuttle is $16 one-way or $22 roundtrip & $3.00 for dogs.
Helpful Tip
Where to park your car
There is a parking area located about .25 miles from Redfish Lodge where you can find free overnight parking. Get directions to the Redfish Trailhead parking lot here.
What do know before you go
Before planning your Baron Lakes backpacking trip, here are a few important things to know:
Read through this Sawtooth Wilderness factsheet to learn more about permits and regulations.
My Baron Lakes Backpacking Trip Report
We planned on a three-night, four-day backpacking trip to Baron Lakes, which would give us time for a full layover day at Baron Lakes.
Day 1: Redfish Lake to Alpine Lake
- 5.5 miles
- ~1,900 feet of elevation gain
We got a late start out of Redfish Inlet on Day 1, so our plan was to spend our first night five miles in at Alpine Lake.
After taking the Redfish boat taxi across, we set off on the well-marked trail from Redfish Inlet.
The trailhead is at about 6,600 feet above sea level and the trail has a gradual incline for the first 3.7 miles until you reach Flatrock Junction.
I thought we’d be right next to Redfish Creek the entire way, as it appeared on the map, but the trail only hits the creek a couple of times. So make sure to fill your water bottles up before you leave the trailhead.
Where it does hit the creek, there are several nice places to stop and rest and splash your face with some cold water if it’s a really hot day.
When you hit Flatrock Junction, hang a right to follow Redfish Creek/Baron Creek Trail. This is where your steeper climb begins. Over the next mile and a half, you’ll climb a total of 850 feet up non-stop switchbacks.
There isn’t a ton of shade and there is no water on this section. Luckily you have great views to distract you!
Read next: There is limited shade on the Baron Lakes Trail. Be prepared with good sun protection and fill up your water when you can.
At 5.6 miles, you reach a side trail that takes you down to Alpine Lake, which was our destination for day 1. This is a popular spot, so don’t expect much solitude, and remember that noise travels quickly across the lake. We had some noisy neighbors on the other side of the lake, and I’m not sure they realized that we could pretty much hear their entire conversation.
We found a secluded campsite on the east edge of the lake (the first end you hit when you are hiking) with a durable spot to pitch our tent away from the water. We spent the rest of the afternoon playing fetch with Charlie and enjoying the views.
Day 2: Alpine Lake to
- 2.8 miles
- ~ 700 feet of elevation gain
The next morning we got up early, packed up, and made our way up to Baron Divide. As you climb, you’ll pass a small pond and a few more seasonal tarns on the way up for water refills.
As you can see in the photos, the sky was a bit hazy on day 2 due to a fire in the nearby town of Bellevue.
It’s a little more than 1.5 miles and another 1000 feet of switchback climbing until you reach the top of Baron Divide where you get your first glimpse of Baron Lakes.
From the top of Baron Divide, it’s a short, but steep hike down over two dozen switchbacks to reach Upper Baron Lake. We found a couple of amazing campsites on the north shore of the lake between Upper Baron and Middle Baron Lake.
Since there was no one else set up there, we decided to set up camp at one of these spots.
Day 3: Exploring the Baron Lakes Basin
The next day we planned on leaving our camp set up and going further down the trail to explore Middle Baron Lake and beyond. Once you get down to Middle Baron Lake, which is much larger than Upper, you’ll find a bunch of campsites, again on the north edge of the lake. Here we found a number of groups set up, which confirmed our good decision to stay at the Upper Lake.
We hugged the north side on what seemed like a game trail until we found a place to hang out on the lake shore away from the other campers.
After relaxing for a bit, we decided to continue further down the trail. We passed a series of river cascades, eventually reaching a meadow, where we dipped our toes and found a few additional campsites that I imagine don’t get too much use.
We decided not to try and find the lowest of the Baron Lakes. We caught a peek of it at the top of some boulders at Middle Baron and it didn’t look that inviting or worth the effort.
In the late afternoon, we made our way back up to camp where we watched the sunset and cooked dinner.
Day 4: Baron Lake to Redfish Lake
- 8.4 miles
- ~960 feet of elevation gain
The next morning, we packed up and hiked the full way back out to Redfish Lake the same way we came.
The trip back is mostly downhill after the initial climb back up to Baron Pass. If you experience knee pain when hiking downhill, I recommend bringing trekking poles to minimize impact on your knees.
What to Pack
I’ve written a number of gear guides that will help you plan for your backpacking trip to Baron Lakes. Here is where I’d recommend starting:
- 3-Day Backpacking Gear Checklist
- How to Pack a Backpacking Pack
- Best Women’s Backpacking Packs
- Simple, Lightweight Backpacking Food Ideas
Specific to backpacking to Baron Lakes, here are a few items I recommend including:
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I hope this Baron Lakes backpacking trail guide helps you plan an awesome trip in the Sawtooths! If you have questions, please leave a comment below.
Would you recommend camping at Alpine and day hiking to Baron Lakes?
Hi Kaelan, that’s definitely possible! Baron Lakes was a little quieter for camping with fewer people, but you could totally set up camp at Alpine and just take a daypack to explore Baron Lakes.