Brackett Creek to Fairy Lake 12.96 mi

Overview: Scenic ride – don’t miss the photos below! Decent sized parking lot with easy access just off Bridger Canyon Rd. Combination of 2 track lower and single track higher up. Some open sections some wooded. Spectacular views and beautiful destination at the lake. Comes in to the southeast side of Fairy Lake (opposite side of car parking). Some motorcycles likely. Plenty of trottable sections. We rode leisurely, mostly walking, and took 4 1/2 hours.

Note that this ride has alternate routes. In the map below we went up on the more southerly trail and down on the more northerly trail. The southerly trail has one short but steep switchback. The northerly trail has a section of 2 track dirt road where motorcycles are more common.

CAUTION: The switchback is at the north end of the the more southerly option, just before the trails merge (to the left of the 7400′ marker on the full sized map). About halfway up the switchback a root was sticking out right at cinch height that your horse could get caught on. Feel free to bring a handsaw and cut it away! This switchback is shortly before the two trails meet up. I have marked it on the map with a circle with a cross through it. You can click on the circle for GPS coordinates.

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Distance: 12.96 miles

Elevation Gain: 2,360 ft

Technicality: A mix. More trail than 2 track. Lower trail sections are meadow, upper sections close to the lake are wooded.

Difficulty: Easy to moderate. The only real technical part is the switchback mentioned above.

Parking: Easy.

Water: Some water in lower sections (possibly seasonal) and at the lake

Season: Impassable in winter.

Shared Use: Open to bicycles and motorized. Most of this trail provides a good view ahead so you can see them coming. The exception is the single track section before the lake, because it’s narrow and woodsy. I don’t recall any steep dropoffs or many blind corners so even the single track is safer than some other trails. We did not encounter any bicycles but we meet a few motorcycles and ATVs on this trip on the wider sections.

Directions to Trailhead:
Starting where Rouse/Bridger Canyon Rd crosses under I-90, drive up Bridger Canyon for 24.3 miles. Turn right onto Brackett Creek, cross the creek and the trailhead parking is on your right.

Note that this parking area also directly accesses single track trails. But for Fairy Lake you need to ride back to Bridger Canyon Rd, and cross it to access a dirt road. There is other parking down this dirt road but could be tight for trailers. Proceed past this parking through a wood fence onto the trail.

Timing: 4.5 hours at a casual pace (3mph avg)

Notables: Fairy Lake can also be accessed from Battle Ridge trailhead, which is about 3 miles further up Bridger Canyon.

Photos: Click any photo for slide show