Decided to hike Independence lake with my toddler on the 4th just because 🙂..
FR 4060 / Coal Lake rd was open. There seemed to be a recent repair done to the washout before the Coal Lake TH.
The road was a typical gravel forest road with a few ruts and dips. It's also narrow with some branches that can can scratch your car, but I think all cars can make it although high clearance vehicles are recommended.
We arrived at the parking lot at around 3PM. Parking lot was a bit busy but there were still a few spots left.
The trail to Independence Lake was pretty straightforward with a couple creek crossings that weren't difficult. My toddler hiked the whole trail with some help at the creek crossings and the log crossing at the south end of the lake.
You could stop at the south end of the lake but we went around the lake, just a little past the "toilet" sign. We also saw a couple of groups with their tents there.
Mileage: 2.2 mi RT with around 700ft elevation gain. It took us around 2 hours and 30 minutes with a toddler pace and a short break at the lake.
We didn't go up to North Lake but it's an option if you wish to go further or maybe to the seldom climbed Independence Peak.
Coal Lake seemed to be a great place to stop by but we decided to head out.
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