Lake Angela by way of the Pacific Crest Trail

The Trail

This trail is an easy 3.2 mile (one way) stretch of

Lake Angela

the Pacific Crest Trail with a 276 foot elevation change. The trail is lined with tall evergreen trees, splashed with colorful wildflowers, and scattered with smooth granite boulders. It sports fantastic views of the surrounding peaks and of Donner Lake. The first part of the trail is very shady and there are several muddy ponds in which catfish can be seen. Parts of the trail may be muddy or covered with snow. The ponds and a marsh area make ideal mosquito breeding grounds, so wearing bug repellent is a good idea.

As the trail continues, it becomes more open and rocky. The trail drops a little before rising again. After reaching the summit and starting down, Donner Pass Road and the train tracks are visible to the south. If you continue along the trail, you will eventually reach Donner Pass Road. To get to Lake Angela, we turned off the trail soon after we reached the summit. We heard rumors of a trail that turns off to the lake from the Pacific Crest Trail before this point, but we couldn't find it. Instead, after the first switchback or two on the way down, we headed over the ridge and toward the power lines immediately west of the trail (turn off point marked on the map with a green dot: N39 19.425 W120 19.311). After crossing over the ridge, we could see the lake below. We made our way through some brush and followed what appeared to be odd pieces of various disconnected trails down to the lake. Angela Lake itself is beautifully clear and blue.

Azalea Lake and Flora Lake are not visible from the Pacific Crest Trail, but probably would not be hard to find with a map and/or GPS. There is supposed to be a turn off from the Pacific Crest Trail at N39 20.24469 W120 19.85254 (marked with a red triangle in the map below) for a trail that goes past all the lakes, and this route is also shorter than following the Pacific Crest Trail. However, it is not obvious or easy to find, and we missed that trail as well.

Topographical Map

Graph of Elevation

Trail in Google Maps

One of the Mud Ponds

View of Donner Lake from the Pacific Crest Trail

Lake Angela

Directions

From I-80, take exit 176 for Castle Peak/Boreal Ridge Rd. (about a 45 minute drive from Reno). After exiting, turn south. At Bunny Hill Dr., turn left and continue to the parking lot at the end of the road. The trail head is well marked with a plaque detailing the Pacific Crest Trail and some other trails in the area.