Mohawk Lake is located 4.15 miles from McCullough Gulch via the Wheeler National Recreation Trail, which stretches over 10 miles across the Ten Mile Range. It joins the Spruce Creek Trail after 2.3 miles, which turns west past Continental Falls and Lower Mohawk Lake to Mohawk Lake. An unimproved route continues on to five more spectacular lakes in the upper valley.

Cutthroat trout are particulary abundant in the 3rd lake above Mohawk Lake (12,372')

Bistort, a common alpine flower that favors damp soil, is in the Buckwheat family

Mountain goat hooves have hard outer shells and rubbery, concave footpads which act like suction cups when weight is applied

Lower Mohawk Lake is located at treeline; Mohawk Lake is a steep .4 mile climb ahead

The unimproved trail above Mohawk Lake aims for Pacific Peak (13,950’) in the SW corner of the valley

Dusky grouse (formerly known as blue grouse) are the 2nd largest grouse in North America; this female may weigh 2 lbs while males can exceed 3 lbs

Above the Mohawk Lake cirque, the valley widens and flattens with easy access to the third lake

Mohawk Lake is one of 8 lakes in the Spruce Creek drainage

Looking east at the Boreas Pass area from the Wheeler National Recreation Trail

Pacific Tarn is a steep climb with no discernable established route from the fourth lake above Mohawk Lake (12,438')

The 2nd lake above Mohawk Lake with Pacific Peak (left) and Crystal Peak (right) in the upper valley

Mountain goats have few natural predators; they're more likely to succumb to rockslides or starvation

Approaching the fourth lake above Mohawk Lake in the broad, flat tundra

Male dusky grouse stay in breeding areas through mid-July, then move to the highest sustainable forests

Afternoon storms reliably form each summer afternoon around the Continental Divide

Perennial flowers come back year after year, while annual flowers live and bloom only for one season

The trail between Lower Mohawk and Mohawk lakes can be a little tricky to follow, especially with lingering snow

The valley's south wall separates McCullough Gulch from the Spruce Creek draiange

Quandary Peak (14,265') from the Wheeler National Recreation Trail's southern terminus