Distance
Agnew Lake: 5.6  miles round trip
Gem Lake:  7.6 miles round trip
Waugh Lake: 13 miles round trip

Time Needed
Agnew Lake: 3 to 3.5 hours
Gem Lake: 4.5 to 5 hours
Waugh Lake: 7 to 8 hours

The Rush Creek Trailhead is located by the horse corral just past Silver Lake Resort. From the parking area take the left trail heading south. There are trail signs designating the Rush Creek Trail. The trail snakes behind the Silver Lake Resort, following an aspen grove before climbing out of the trees.  Once out of the the grove the tail switch backs for a little over 2 miles and climbs 1268 feet of elevation. Along the way there are impressive views of the valley below and Horsetail Falls and Tatum Falls (in early spring).  The first lake the trail passes in Agnew.

Gem Lake is the biggest of the three lakes and is one mile past Agnew Lake, just over the ridge. The trial continues by the lake for over a miles before tucking behind the lake heading to Waugh.

The Reverse Creek Trailhead offers dozens of great hikes and backpacking option. Check out our backpacking page for more information on the zone.