Pine Lake Trail

Pine Lake Trail is a 6.7-mile out-and-back route in Dixie National Forest near Pine Lake Campground, high on the Colorado Plateau at about 8,100 feet. It's a moderately challenging hike with roughly 679 feet of elevation gain, popular with birders and anglers as well as hikers, and it stays quieter than the trails inside Bryce Canyon proper even in peak season.

Good to know

• Best hiked April through November
• Dogs are welcome on leash — this is Forest Service land, not national park
• Pine Lake itself offers canoeing, kayaking, and fishing for rainbow, cutthroat, and brook trout, with a short trail connecting from the campground
• Nearby Powell Point Trail shares the same general high-plateau country if you want to extend the trip