The Bench Lakes are a chain of five small alpine glacial lakes in Custer County, Idaho, United States, located in the Sawtooth Mountains in the Sawtooth National Recreation Area. A cutoff from Sawtooth National Forest trail 101 along Redfish Lake leads to the Bench Lakes.[1] The lakes are drained by an unnamed stream that flows into Redfish Lake, Redfish Lake Creek, and eventually the Salmon River.
The Bench Lakes are in the Sawtooth Wilderness, and a wilderness permit can be obtained at a registration box at trailheads or wilderness boundaries. The uppermost Bench Lake is at the northeastern base of Mount Heyburn.
| Lake | Elevation | Max. length | Max. width | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bench Lake 1 | 2,362 m (7,749 ft) | 190 m (620 ft) | 160 m (520 ft) | 44°07′01″N 114°57′02″W / 44.117031°N 114.950625°W |
| Bench Lake 2 | 2,363 m (7,753 ft) | 465 m (1,526 ft) | 240 m (790 ft) | 44°06′59″N 114°57′19″W / 44.116365°N 114.955179°W |
| Bench Lake 3 | 2,414 m (7,920 ft) | 110 m (360 ft) | 095 m (312 ft) | 44°06′50″N 114°57′48″W / 44.113772°N 114.963439°W |
| Bench Lake 4 | 2,496 m (8,189 ft) | 435 m (1,427 ft) | 295 m (968 ft) | 44°06′35″N 114°57′57″W / 44.109683°N 114.965717°W |
| Bench Lake 5 | 2,632 m (8,635 ft) | 400 m (1,300 ft) | 210 m (690 ft) | 44°06′22″N 114°58′25″W / 44.106147°N 114.973569°W |
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Lower Bench Lake at sunrise -
Bench Lake 3 -
One of the Bench Lakes at sunrise
References edit
- ^ Sawtooth National Forest. “Sawtooth National Forest” [map].1:126,720, 1”=2 miles. Twin Falls, Idaho: Sawtooth National Forest, United States Forest Service, 1998.
See also edit
- List of lakes of the Sawtooth Mountains (Idaho)
- Sawtooth National Forest
- Sawtooth National Recreation Area
- Sawtooth Range (Idaho)
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