Trailhead starts from Lake George parking area. Don't hike as much as we would like but this trail is manageable. The views of Lake George and Lake Mary are beautiful. Then you finally get to Crystal Lake! Very clear and. Seen a few people fishing great place for it. We had lunch there. Very peaceful.

Yes, the destinations and views are great, but the trail itself is a complete disgrace to any decent trail. The trail is very rocky and dusty, pounded by pack animals, and the manure isn't very attractive. The switchbacks are the worst ever, for example, as you go up the switchbacks you'll find sections of the trail unnecessarily heading downhill, and this tempts a lot of people to cut the switchbacks. If you want to enjoy the fresh pine scented mountain air on this trail, give yourself lots of space to the person ahead, as eating dust is never fun.

Give yourself a few days to acclimate to the altitude. Trail starts around 9,000 feet. Very good trail up. Be sure to take time to hike all the way around Crystal lake, an extra hour.

The views are spectacular. I thank all the other reviewers as we might not have done this hike if we hadn't checked TripAdvisor first. We are a middle aged couple in decent shape. This isn't a tough hike to do but it's not as simple as a walk around Convict Lake (which we also enjoyed very much). Do it early and beat the crowds!