Camping at Rabbit Lake

There is always a downside to being spoiled, and we are no exception. I get so caught up dreaming up grand adventures in the airplane that I fail to explore the simple excursions and places close to home.

I’ve known about Rabbit Lakes for a while but Woodsen enjoyed biking it so much that he didn’t really want to hike it. I tried biking it but I didn’t get very far and mostly got frustrated. I attempted hiking it when Atlee was less than a month old, but with a lot of the trail covered in snow my postpartum body pooped out on me halfway there.

Last Friday we had a break in the rainy weather so we decided to go for it and camp at the lake, which would break the hike up and make it a little more enjoyable.

Princess Atlee in her thrown is ready for the adventure!

Partly cloudy with a tail wind, perfect hiking weather, and amazing fall colors!

We spotted a moose and a few sheep along the way.

Yummy buckles!

The 4.4-mile trail is a gradual climb most the way, but right before you get to the lake it does even out for a bit.  Here Woodsen is hiking up the final little hill before reaching the lake.

At this point I can’t believe how beautiful this place is, more importantly, I can’t believe I haven’t been here before. Most of the way you can still see Anchorage if you look back and it only took us about 2 hrs of walking to get here. I’ve been missing out!

All that hiking put Atlee right to sleep.

The wind had picked up a bit by the time we got to the lake, but we were able to find a mostly flat spot to put our tent that was somewhat sheltered from the wind. If it’s not windy you could also hike to the other side of the lake where there is a nice beach and set your tent up there. The only problem with that is that you don’t get as much morning sun. Of course, it wouldn’t be an issue in the summer, but in the fall you notice it a little more.

Tent shenanigans.

With a lot more daylight to enjoy and the lake to ourselves, we headed out on a hike around the lake.

The Suicide peaks make for an epic backdrop.

Family photo op! You might see this on a Christmas card this winter 😉

The trail around the lake definitely isn’t as well used as the trail to the lakes, and in some spots, it fizzles out completely. I was happy Woodsen was carrying Atlee when walking through some of the scree fields and steep slippery slopes. Still manageable if you are careful.

Woodsen is standing at the opposite side of the lake that has a nice flat area for camping, complete with a little beach.

You can see a little white speck that is our tent across the lake.

We hiked a bit further inland once we reached the other side of the lake and we found this cool shelter someone had made.

Hiking around the east side of the lake looks rocky from the other side but there is actually a fair amount of flat grassy area amidst the rock that makes it a lot easier to walk on then the west side.

Back from our walk. Someone is awake!

Dinner time. Ramen and oatmeal are our staple camping meals.

After we ate dinner we walked up the slope to the south of the lake. From the top you can see two other pretty lakes down the McHugh valley. Next time we will have to check them out a bit more.

Hello blue eyes.

Dinner in the tent. The backpack doubles as a high chair. Perfect!

To be truthful the night was rough. This was my first time camping in the cold with a baby and let’s just say I learned a lot. I brought warm clothes for her but I counted on covering her up with her little sleeping bag to keep her warm. Well, she was teething and fussy and kept swatting her blanket off her so she ended up sleeping with me in my sleeping bag. This meant we woke up sweaty and I didn’t get very much sleep. Note to self, get her a bunting that is extra warm and she can’t swat off.

Awake and ready for the hike back to the car.

The hike back is mostly downhill and took less than 2 hrs. What a fun easy camping trip so close to home!

Rabbit Lake trail is at the end of Canyon road off of upper deArmoun and info about the trial can be found here. Beware that in the summer and fall weekends are very busy and parking gets to be a bit ridiculous, especially with a one-way road with cars parked on either side. If you can, go during the work week.