Trip Report
Day Hike - Lower Tuscohatchie Lake
Four lakes in the Alpine Lakes Wilderness, swimming, ripe berries, pikas, mushrooms and some amazing moss & lichen.
Roseanne Lorenzana
- Fri, Aug 29, 2025
- Day Hike - Lower Tuscohatchie Lake
- Pratt Lake Trail
- Day Hiking
- Successful
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- Road suitable for all vehicles
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- Beware of the deep pothole right at the end of the paved tarmac where it transitions to a gravel road. From there the road has the requisite number of medium-deep potholes until about 0.5 miles from the TH where the gravel road surface improves. Go Figure.
- Pit toilet at TH was clean with toilet paper. But this was Friday morning before a 3 day holiday weekend.
- Trails up to the junction where the Pratt Lake trail descends into the Pratt Lake Basin are well trod and often wide enough for walking 2 side-by-side.
- Going uphill, we took the trail on the west side of Olallie Lake which connects with an unmaintained trail that ascends ~250' in less than ¼ mile from the Olallie Lake basin to the Pratt Lake trail. IMO the only advantage of this route is that you get enjoy views of Olallie Lake & the berry patches at the north end of the lake. As a shortcut, this route only saves ~0.2 mile.
- In Pratt Lake basin, portions of the trail were overgrown. There were some spots where the trail had sloughed on the downhill side.
- Between Pratt Lake and Lower Tuscohatchie Lake: this short 0.6 mile section of the Melakwa Lake trail is the most challenging on this route. Rocky & rooty with one place where hands are needed to ascend
From the Talapus Lake TH to Olallie Lake, it's a moderate hike on a well-trod trail. The open understory filters sunlight, tumbling water sounds of small streams, friendly chatting of nuthatch birds. The unmaintained boot trail between Ollalie Lake & Pratt Lake trail has been well-traveled this summer and is easy to follow. The switchbacks descending into the Pratt Lake basin soon encounters the first of 2 open talus fields which must be crossed. Pikas scold with loud "eeps" from near & far as we approach. Pratt Lake is the largest of the 4 alpine lakes on this route and the campsite at the north end provides a place to pause and/or swim. But our group decided to carry-on to Lower Tuscohatchie. Two of our group swam in the clear waters of Lower Tuscohatchie Lake and we all had our lunch break here before heading back. On the return route, we took Pratt Lake trail along the east side of Olallie Lake - the lake is not visible from this side - for a pleasant return to the TH.
Lots of bolete mushrooms and ripe berries, especially in the Pratt Lake basin. Thanks to the learned naturalists in the group, we saw quite a few interesting mosses & lichens, too.
