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Submission
The turnoff to the Ancient Lakes Trail is five miles south of Quincy on SR 281. Turn west off SR 281 onto White Trail Road and continue 3 miles. Turn left (south) at the “public fishing” sign onto a gravel road toward Quincy Lakes. The Ancient Lakes trailhead is located 0.7 mile south of the intersection with White Trail Road. There is no privy at this trailhead.
Had such a lovely hike with my friend! There is decent cell service throughout the trail with a few dead zones. I'd recommend downloading your maps from Google Maps or All Trails, etc just in case because some of the trail routes are a bit easy to miss. Lots of open space for running, hiking, mountain biking, and enjoying the outdoors. The lakes are beautiful- Dusty Lake and Ancient Lakes were both cool. I preferred Ancient Lakes because there are waterfalls and saw more animals (hawks, frogs, fish) in that area. Somewhat of a rough road the 2-ish miles from main road to trailhead when driving in but manageable even in a small car if you go slow. Requires a Discovery Pass.
Beautiful scenery. Not crowded. We stayed to the left when the trail split and hiked all the way to the waterfall on the other side of the lake. Trail was easy until you get to the lake. Lots of shale and rocks to climb over. Take your time and don't be in a rush.
This area is absolutely a hidden gem - if you're considering rock climbing, camping, taking pics, or just taking in the views, I highly recommend this trail. It is mostly flat and easier than you'd think to hike. There are multiple beautiful waterfalls to see along the way. We also saw several marmots and colorful birds as well. Camping is very dispersed so we slept at the bottom of a waterfall and it was fantastic. You can see so many stars here at night as well. The pictures do not do this area justice.
