Pancho Lake facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Pancho Lake |
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 Pancho Lake
Location in Idaho
Pancho Lake
Location in the United States
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| Location | Elmore County, Idaho |
| Coordinates | 43°56′17″N 115°04′49″W / 43.938117°N 115.080303°W |
| Type | Glacial |
| Primary outflows | Rock Creek to Middle Fork Boise River |
| Basin countries | United States |
| Max. length | 0.11 mi (0.18 km) |
| Max. width | 0.05 mi (0.080 km) |
| Surface elevation | 8,915 ft (2,717 m) |
Pancho Lake is a beautiful, small lake located high up in the mountains of Idaho. It's known as an alpine lake because it sits in a very high-altitude area. This special lake is found in Elmore County, within the famous Sawtooth Mountains. It's also part of a big protected area called the Sawtooth National Recreation Area.
About Pancho Lake
Pancho Lake is a glacial lake. This means it was formed a very long time ago by a giant sheet of ice, called a glacier. As the glacier moved, it carved out a deep hollow in the ground. When the glacier melted, this hollow filled with water, creating the lake we see today.
The lake is quite small. It is about 0.11 miles long and 0.05 miles wide. It sits at a high elevation of 8,915 feet above sea level. Water flows out of Pancho Lake into Rock Creek, which then joins the Middle Fork of the Boise River.
Where is Pancho Lake?
Pancho Lake is located in the central part of Idaho, in Elmore County. It's nestled deep within the Sawtooth Mountains, which are famous for their jagged, saw-like peaks. This area is part of the larger Sawtooth National Recreation Area. This recreation area is a special place where people can enjoy nature and outdoor activities.
Visiting Pancho Lake
Getting to Pancho Lake is an adventure! The lake is inside the Sawtooth Wilderness. A wilderness area is a place where nature is kept as wild as possible, with very few human changes. Because it's a wilderness area, you need a special permit to visit. You can get this permit easily at a registration box found at the start of hiking trails or at the wilderness boundaries.
There are a couple of ways to hike to Pancho Lake. You can use Sawtooth National Forest trail 479, which follows along Rock Creek. Another option is trail 458, which goes along the Queens River. Both trails offer amazing views of the surrounding mountains and forests.
