Alice Lake Trail
From Pettit Lake, a long wilderness trail climbs creek crossings and forest toward Alice Lake beneath the serrated El Capitan massif.
Artwork inspired by Archie Teater
Alice Lake is commonly described as a day hike, but distance, elevation, creek crossings, altitude, and route finding make it a serious outing. The trail follows Tin Cup Creek from Pettit Lake into the Sawtooth Wilderness, where granite walls and alpine basins appear gradually rather than at a roadside reveal.
Start early, carry navigation and emergency layers, and assess crossings instead of copying another hiker. Overnight travel adds wilderness permit, camp-impact, food-storage, and sanitation responsibilities. The popular Alice–Toxaway loop is a different, longer commitment; do not let the shared trailhead blur the itinerary.
- Destination
- Alice Lake
- Wilderness
- Sawtooth Wilderness
- Allow
- 8–12 hours or overnight
Quick guide
- Tin Cup Trailhead at Pettit
- Tin Cup Trailhead at Pettit Lake
- Plan for
- A strenuous full day
Route logic for Alice Lake Trail
- Opening question
- Start at Tin Cup Trailhead with a downloaded route.
- Tin Cup Trailhead at Pettit
- Treat distance, elevation, crossings, and weather together.
- System at work
- Alice Lake out-and-back is not the full Toxaway loop.
- Conditions check
- Use durable sites, food storage, and wilderness sanitation.
Good to know
Online mileage varies by endpoint and route. Use the Forest Service map, not a social-media pin; tell someone your plan, expect no service, and turn around if crossings, smoke, snow, or thunderstorms exceed your margin.
Notice these
- Alice Lake
- Sawtooth Wilderness
- Treat distance, elevation, crossings, and weather together.