Backpack Trail Guide

Trails / Idaho / Eastern Idaho

Upper Palisades Lake via Palisades Creek

Caribou-Targhee National Forest (Palisades Creek, near Swan Valley and Irwin)

August sunrise in the Tetons, Caribou-Targhee National Forest (not on this trail)
“August sunrise in the Tetons, Caribou-Targhee National Forest (not on this trail)” by U.S. Forest Service , Public domain · Source · Cropped for the web

Upper Palisades Lake fills a basin below jagged peaks near the Idaho–Wyoming line, about seven miles up Palisades Creek. The Idaho Trails Association describes turquoise water and a striking alpine setting, and the trail passes a smaller lower lake on the way. Both lakes were formed when landslides dammed the creek, according to two regional sources.

It’s a gradual walk for most of the way, with the real climbing saved for the last mile.

The hike

The trail starts near Palisades Creek Campground, up a forest road off U.S. 26 east of Swan Valley. The Idaho Trails Association says the road is a long gravel forest road and recommends high-clearance vehicles, with four-wheel drive helpful after heavy rain or early in the season. Recreation.gov’s Caribou-Targhee listings describe the Palisades Creek Trail as open to hikers, mountain bikers, and horseback riders.

The Idaho Trails Association says the trail begins in dense forest, following Palisades Creek steadily uphill, then opens into meadows with views of the surrounding peaks. Girl on a Hike reached the first short switchbacks at 2.7 miles and crossed bridges at miles 3.3, 3.4, 3.6, and 3.7. At about four miles, a junction with the Lake Canyon Trail comes up along with a large camping area and picnic table, where that writer counted about 10 tents. Lower Palisades Lake is just beyond.

Hiking Project describes the route from the lower lake as more difficult. Chicken Springs, a good place to get fresh water, lies between the two lakes. Don’t miss the turn east across the creek over a large metal bridge; the switchbacks just past the bridge can be taxing. The Idaho Trails Association agrees that most of the climbing is in the final mile beyond the lower lake. Girl on a Hike counted only about 1,200 feet of gain over the full seven miles.

Hiking Project says Upper Palisades Lake is over a mile long, and Girl on a Hike puts it at about 6,700 feet. The Idaho Trails Association calls it popular for fishing and says some visitors swim on warm days. In clear weather, it says, you can see Palisades Reservoir from higher on the trail.

Beyond the upper lake, the trail continues into Waterfall Canyon. A 2023 Post Register report reached it at about 10.5 miles but found lots of downfall and patches of snow a foot or two deep in early summer. Another trip report describes two waterfalls at the head of the canyon and established campsites near a small lake there, with no other people past the upper lake. Girl on a Hike reached the Waterfall Canyon/Vacation Canyon split at 8.5 miles.

Wildlife is a big part of this trip. The Idaho Trails Association says deer and elk are often seen, moose live in the drainage, and moose and bears are frequently spotted. It recommends carrying bear spray and storing food properly. It also warns that mosquitoes can be intense near the lakes and meadows later in the season.

Girl on a Hike calls this an extremely popular route for backpackers. She says some camp at the lower lake and day hike to the upper, while others go all the way to the upper lake and day hike into Waterfall Canyon.

Tips

Camping

The Idaho Trails Association says there are established campsites near Upper Palisades Lake, and asks campers to use durable surfaces and camp at least 100 feet from water. A 2023 Post Register trip report describes several camping areas: one just before the lower lake with an outhouse and picnic table; a designated camp about a mile farther, across a footbridge near a cabin; sites at the west end of the upper lake; and more beyond the east end, near some horse campsites, with an outhouse. We found no permit requirement. Store food properly.

Inside Intel: The camp near the lower lake is the first one you reach, and it fills. One writer counted about 10 tents there, and a regional guide says the upper lake has better camping because the lower lake’s sites fill sooner. The Post Register writer camped beyond the east end of the upper lake, under a big fir near the horse camps, and used it as a base for a day hike to Waterfall Canyon.

Trail facts

The Lowdown

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Where this comes from

This page draws on the sources below, along with other guides and trip reports. Links go to the original pages.

Before you go: This page is based on published trail guides, trip reports, and reviews, along with official park and agency information where we could find it. It’s meant to help backpackers discover new trails, not to replace current, official information. Conditions, closures, permits, campsites, and water sources change, and some details here may be out of date or wrong. Confirm everything with the managing agency and check current conditions before you head out, and don’t rely on this page alone for safety or navigation. Backcountry travel involves risk.