At a Glance
Difficulty
Hard
Distance (one-way)
6.1 miles
Elevation
11,220 ft
Elevation Gain
N/A
Trailhead
Lawn Lake TH / Ypsilon Lake Trail
Park Area
Horseshoe Park / Lawn Lake Area
Side of Divide
East
Coordinates
40.4541°N, 105.6686°W
Horseshoe Park / Lawn Lake Area

Fay Lakes (Upper)

Upper Fay; runoff-fed, beneath the Ypsilon-Fairchild saddle

Photo coming soon — Lawn Lake TH / Ypsilon Lake Trail approach

About Fay Lakes (Upper)

Fay Lakes (Upper) is one of three alpine lakes in the Mummy Range, set in the high cirque above Ypsilon Lake. The trio steps up the basin between Ypsilon Mountain (13,514 ft) and Fairchild Mountain (13,502 ft). This is the highest of the cluster, at about 11,220 ft. Upper Fay is formed by runoff from the Ypsilon-Fairchild saddle.

NPS lists the lake at 6.1 miles one-way from the Lawn Lake Trailhead, with about 2,200–2,680 ft of elevation gain depending on which Fay you target. Maintained trail ends at Ypsilon Lake; from there it's second-class scrambling on talus and boulders to reach the Fay basin.

Best as a long day hike or backcountry overnight from the Lawn Lake drainage. The Fay basin is wild, exposed, and a meaningfully harder objective than Ypsilon Lake itself — plan accordingly with weather, water, and route-finding.

Route Map

Hike Reports

💬
No reports yet for this season.
Log your hike to leave a report for other visitors.