Bowknot Lake facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Bowknot Lake |
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Location | Custer County, Idaho |
Coordinates | 43°57′59″N 114°57′33″W / 43.966525°N 114.959161°W |
Lake type | Glacial |
Primary outflows | Creek to Salmon River |
Basin countries | United States |
Max. length | 0.10 mi (0.16 km) |
Max. width | 0.09 mi (0.14 km) |
Surface elevation | 8,245 ft (2,513 m) |
Bowknot Lake is a small, sparkling lake located high in the mountains of Idaho. You can find it in Custer County, nestled within the amazing Sawtooth Mountains. This area is part of the larger Sawtooth National Recreation Area, a special place protected for its natural beauty.
Discover Bowknot Lake
Bowknot Lake is known as an "alpine lake" because it sits at a high elevation, surrounded by tall mountain peaks. It's also a "glacial lake," meaning it was formed long ago by giant moving glaciers. These glaciers carved out the land, leaving behind the basin that now holds the lake's clear water.
Visiting Bowknot Lake
If you love hiking and exploring, you'll be happy to know that Sawtooth National Forest trail 096 leads right to Bowknot Lake. It's a great way to experience the wilderness up close. The lake is quite small, about 0.10 miles long and 0.09 miles wide, and sits at an elevation of 8,245 feet above sea level.
Exploring the Sawtooth Wilderness
Bowknot Lake is located inside the Sawtooth Wilderness. This is a protected area where nature is kept as wild as possible. To help keep it special, visitors need to get a wilderness permit. You can usually find these permits at registration boxes located at the start of trails or at the wilderness boundaries. Getting a permit helps everyone understand how to visit responsibly and protect the environment.
Nearby Lakes
Bowknot Lake is connected to a system of other beautiful lakes. Just upstream from Bowknot Lake, meaning higher up the mountain and where the water flows from, is Toxaway Lake. Downstream, where the water flows out of Bowknot Lake, you'll find other lakes like Farley Lake, McDonald Lake, and Yellow Belly Lake. The water from Bowknot Lake eventually flows into a creek that leads to the famous Salmon River.