SHIRLEY LAKE

AUGUST 2008

SHIRLEY LAKE

VALAITE LAKE

ONE OF THE TWIN LAKES

Shirley Lake is an approximately 13-mile round-trip hike from the Green River Lakes Trailhead. As a kid, we would frequently take a canoe across Lower Green River Lake, making the hike only approximately 7 miles round-trip. This is a fairly strenuous hike, with a lot of elevation gain. From the south end of Lower Green River Lake, the trail will take you to Porcupine Creek where you can wade across it, or find a way to cross over it on some fallen logs. After you cross Porcupine Creek, you will begin a long set of switchbacks. After a while the trail will level out and take you over to Porcupine Creek again. This is a good place to rest and refill your water containers.

The main trail continues along Porcupine Creek, but if you want to get to Shirley Lake you will need to cross the creek here and follow the trail on the other side. There is no signage here so be alert. After crossing Porcupine Creek you will enter a meadow where the trail will fork. Stay to the right. After crossing the meadow the trail begins another series of switchbacks, pass briefly through a level spot and begin its steepest ascent just before reaching Twin Lakes. The trail will take you right between the two lakes and continue on a half-mile to Shirley Lake. 

We especially loved Shirley Lake as kids, because it was so easy to catch fish there. As it is not a really popular spot, we usually always had the lake all to ourselves. There is also a very beautiful lake located just above Shirley Lake called Valaite Lake. To reach it, just follow the inlet to Shirley Lake about a quarter mile. This is one of my favorite lakes in the Green River Lakes area. It has a beautiful mountain backdrop and a small waterfall feeding water into it on the far side.