Kangaroo Lake Trail is an easy, kid and dog friendly, 1.1 mile out-and-back trail that circles halfway around the beautiful, high-mountain Kangaroo Lake, a glacial cirque formed during the last Ice Age. The remote, high-elevation trail (6,500 ft.) has an easy gain of 85 feet and features diverse flora, fauna, and geological formations, including serpentine rock outcrops, bald eagles, and rare California pitcher plants. Day-use and parking are free and there are 18 campsites for overnight camping for $15 per night. This trail and campground are ideal for nature lovers and families, with a wheelchair-accessible paved path going partway around the lake, a fishing pier, and a boat launch for non-motorized watercraft.
Kangaroo Lake, Kangaroo Lake Trail, and the nearby Fen Trail are located in Siskiyou County in Northern California and are regulated by the Salmon River/Scott River Ranger Districts for the Klamath National Forest. Several trails in this area connect to the Pacific Crest Trail and offer more challenging but rewarding excursions and stunning, panoramic views. Note that due to its high elevation, the road to Kangaroo Lake and the surrounding trailheads open in June, but it's best to call the ranger station first to ensure snowmelt has allowed for passage.
Kangaroo Lake Campground and Day Use Area are popular during the summer months, but the large and well-maintained parking lot rarely fills completely. After driving up the steep, one-lane, 7-mile paved road to get here, you'll probably want to stretch your legs and take a breather. That road really can be scary - especially when you encounter travel trailers and large trucks and have to pull out along the steep cliffs in order for oncoming vehicles to pass.
Once you've arrived, park in the lot for Day Use and you'll stroll through a wooded picnic area with a few walk-in campsites on your way toward the lake. There are several vault toilets (also very clean and well-maintained!) and water fountains in this area, and even a fish-cleaning station. Upon reaching Kangaroo Lake, you will find a sandy beach area and boat launch for kayaks and canoes (no motorized boats are allowed on the lake). This is the primary destination for most families and will be the most crowded area at the park. Note that the park service has made wheelchair/stroller accessibility a priority and the path around the lake is paved with an easy grade and hand rails until you reach the fishing pier. Going left on this sidewalk from the beach, you'll reach the fishing pier quickly and then the path turns to rock and gravel. You'll want to go up to your left here, where there is a path through the manzanita bushes that leads you around the lake. Due to the high elevation of the area, wildflowers are still abloom in mid to late August and you'll see Indian paintbrush, red columbine, tundra aster, and literally dozens of other beauties peeking out among the manzanita as you make your way to the back side of the lake.
The views of the lake and the granite wall overlooking it are jaw-dropping as you traverse the short trail to the lake's west bank. Here, you'll be doubly rewarded when you encounter the small stream that leads to the lake and a vast meadow filled with rare California pitcher plants and an explosion of wildflowers. Wander around the meadow, sit by the bank of the lake (there is another small beach area here), take a dip, or set up your picnic. While the main beach is often flowing with people, this side of the lake is quiet and serene. Occasionally, you may encounter campers who have kayaked their gear across the lake to spend the night in the few undeveloped campsites here. There are options for furthering the trail up and over the granite dome to make a full loop around the lake, but most hikers stop here and return the way they came. You'll also observe paths along the stone where swimmers climb to leap into the water.
On your return, the views again will take your breath away and you'll likely notice even more flowers that you didn't see on your way in. Lizards are constantly fleeing through the rocks and bushes, and chipmunks abound by the lake, at the campground, and in the Day Use Area. If you'd like to continue your hiking and nature-watching adventure, you will find the trailhead for the Fen Trail just down the road from the entrance to the parking lot on your left. This much steeper 3-mile trail features more California pitcher plants and unique flora and fauna as well as an overlook at the beautiful lake below.
Both the Kangaroo Lake Trail and the Fen Trail are part of the Klamath National Forest and are located 8 miles from the tiny, almost-ghost-town of Callahan (population 50). Callahan features just one general store, which is your best bet for picking up supplies if you didn't bring them with you. The store attaches to a saloon if you're looking for a drink or a bite to eat in an old-school, Old-West atmosphere. There are a few shuttered historical sites in this tiny square including the Callahan Ranch Hotel (built in 1854), a post office, and other remnants of the town's heyday during the gold-rush era.
The Klamath National Forest Reserve was created by Theodore Roosevelt in 1905. It was renamed the Klamath National Forest in 1907 and includes four designated wilderness areas (Marble Mountain Wilderness, Russian Wilderness, Red Buttes Wilderness, and Trinity Alps Wilderness).
Kangaroo Lake itself is a glacial cirque, formed during the last Ice Age. It features granite rocks as well as ultramafic rocks--which are igneous and formed deep in the center of the earth. Due to their high iron content, these rocks appear red from weathering on the surface.
The Kangaroo Lake camping and day-use area has recently been developed for wheelchair access and features a paved trail that leads partly around the lake. There is a fishing platform and a boat launch for non-motored boats. Picnic tables abound at this pristine campground and there is also a small beach area by the edge of the lake.
