Miner Lake-Prairie Lakes Loop

There is plenty of water throughout the hike except during the toughest section of the climb. Given the hike’s difficulty and length, you may wish to bring a filter to refill along the route.

From downtown Ketchum, it is a 21.2-mile drive with the last 2.5 miles on a well-maintained dirt road. Click here for directions. There is parking for about 12 cars, though the lot will fill up on summer weekends.

There are bathrooms at the trailhead.

Late June to early October

There are two trails at the trailhead. Ideally, the route to Mill Lake begins on the trail to the left, though during wet seasons that trail can be covered in water a few steps in. In that case, start on the rightward trail and find a place to quickly cross over a small stream to access the leftward trail.

Regardless of which way you start, there are a number of stream crossings within the first 500 feet. Use deadfall to cross each of them.

At .15 miles, come to a signed intersection with Mill Creek. Stay right.

The next couple miles are a pleasant stroll through alternating patches of woods and meadows. There are a few easy water crossings along the way. At 2.25 miles, come to a signed junction pointing to Miner Lake. Veer left.

Quickly come to another creek crossing – this one changes every year, so walk the bank until you find the driest route across.

Come to another creek crossing at 2.45 miles. At 2.55 miles the hardest section of climb begins up a rocky slope. There is no water along this part of the route.

At 2.75 miles, a waterfall crashes to your left and the trail eases for a bit. It picks back up again at 3 miles until finally relenting at 3.3 miles as it dips back down to the creek. Take a second to catch your breath and filter water if you need to.

The trail then enters a beautiful mountaintop meadow and views open to the magnificent Smoky Mountains. The final push of climb begins at a small grove of pines around the 3.8-mile mark. As the climb eases, come to a junction with a sign pointing to the trail to Prairie Lakes. You will come back to this point, but first turn left and wind through the paths to Miner Lake’s shoreline.

Head back to the junction to Prairie Lakes and turn left. The trail immediately comes to an easy creek crossing and then ascends and quickly descends through the woods. The rest of the route to Prairies Lakes rolls through woods and meadows, though a few easy climbs sneak in here and there.

The smaller of the two easily accessible Prairie Lakes comes into view at about 5.75 miles. Cut left through the woods to access the shoreline.

Hop back on the trail and climb a small knob. The larger of the Prairie Lakes comes into view, though it is obscured by the woods between it and the trail. At about 5.95 miles, a small trail spur on your left runs down to the lake.

From the lake, the trail descends through a pleasant mix of woods and meadows with a few more stream crossings along the way. The descent becomes more marked as you continue, but the soft trail is easy on the knees. Come to the junction with Miner Lake at 8.4 miles and stay straight to reach the trailhead.