4.3 mi of trail, end to end · Varney Creek Trailhead: 8.2 mi out and back in the Service's write-up · about 1,300 ft of climbing · 5,508 ft–6,733 ft · native material surface · trail No. 3718 · trail class 3 · typical grade 12-20% · tread 18-24 inches wide · hiking, horse
TrailheadVarney Creek Trailhead 5,549 ft Drive there
Varney Creek Trailhead 8.2 mi out and back · the Forest Service's write-up
No fee · season 06/25 to 09/30
Provides access to: Mountain Lakes Wilderness via Varney Creek Trail . From the Varney Creek trailhead you can choose an 8.2 mile out and back route or a 14.9 mile loop which connects with the Mountain Lakes Loop Trail . Mountain Lakes Loop Trail highlights Lake Como, Eb and Zeb Lakes, and Lake Harriet within the Wilderness. Fishing and swimming opportunities are plentiful at these mountain lakes.
The trailhead parking lot accommodates 10-12 cars and stock trailers with some turnaround space.
There is no potable water. Visitors need to pack plenty of water.
The lines are the US Forest Service's National Forest System trails layer (public domain), read 2026-10-16 and simplified for the map; the length is the line's, end to end, and the class, surface, grade and tread width are the forest's own entries where it publishes them - a forest that publishes the centreline alone has none. The trailheads and the points along the way are the Service's recreation points, and the write-ups its own recarea text, unedited. Heights come from USGS 3DEP through Terrain Tiles on AWS (Mapzen/Tilezen), read along each line and rounded; a short trail on steep ground can be off by a few tens of feet. Closures change: check the forest's own site before you go.
