Jefferson Park 9/1/25

[u/hikerforlife99]

Finally got to visit Jefferson Park yesterday! What a beautiful and special area. The 8-ish miles of gravel road leading to the trailhead are in pretty good shape—I hear the road has been redone since the fires. There is definitely a ton of burn area + exposure for the first 4 miles, but it’s 100% worth it once you get to the meadows (I also think there’s a certain beauty to burn areas).

I went all the way to Russell Lake, then turned around and explored the other lakes in the area (Scout, Bays, Rock, and Park). Scout and Bays Lakes were my personal favorites, but I did love the scenery in the section of trail from Scout to Russell Lake. Definitely want to return and do this as backpacking trip!

[u/indieaz]

Everytime I see photos of Jefferson Park it renews my interest in going there, but also makes me sad i'll never see it pre-burn.

[u/Scuba-Steve-503]

What trailhead did you use?

[u/hikerforlife99 → u/Scuba-Steve-503]

The Whitewater Trailhead!