Getting There: Take the Fish Creek Exit on I-90 and proceed up Fish Creek Road #343, then the right fork on road #7750 (Iowa State Research Center) that ends at the Clearwater Crossing in 6.75 miles. The Clearwater Crossing has a small campground (3 sites), 2 vault toilets and a Forest Service Guard Station.
Take trail #103 that takes off to the right of the Guard Station on an old road. After about a mile, bear right and up the hill at the intersection for the Straight Creek Trail #99. Stay on trail #103 for about 6 miles passing the un-marked trail to Crater Lake at mile 4.5 until you reach the Greenwood Cabins. The left cabin is usually open and can be used to stay the night, although I have never stayed there.
You will cross Greenwood Creek in about 1/4 mile and then cross French Creek at about a mile from the cabins. There has historically been a makeshift bridge across the creek and then look for trail #143 taking off to the right just past the crossing; in 2024 there was still an old sign. There is a nice campsite just up the trail 100 yards that could be an option if not wanting to complete the entire distance in 1 day.
The trail climbs relentlessly uphill with very little relief up the valley for about 3.0 miles to the lake, crossing French Creek at the 1 mile mark. This can be very hard if packing heavy or out of shape. This portion climbs 1,700 feet in the 3 miles, the same elevation amount of the infamous climb from Straight Creek to Chilcoot Pass. It is not quite as bad as the Chilcoot Pass trail as the North Fork trail is easier than Straight Creek, but is still a challenge. I was able to make all the creek crossings without getting my feet wet or changing shoes.
At the Lake: I have only been to this lake a handful of times, with 2024 my latest venture. I only had a couple pictures from 1976 even though I had been to the lake in the 1980's. The lake has a fair number of campsites available where the trail comes to the lake. I hiked over towards the outlet, but I didn't see any campsites along the way. There is probably a campsite near the outlet, but I was too wiped out from the hike in 2024 that I didn't really explore the shoreline thoroughly. There is a horse camp just above the lake and a sign asking not to bring the horses down to the lake outside of watering. I don't recall doing well fishing in my previous visits, but quickly caught a couple 12 inchers in a few minutes I fished in the morning when I was there in 2024. In 1976, I rode my motorcycle past Greenwood to the start of trail #143. There was a stock bridge across French Creek that I rode across at the time. There is a primitive trail from the lake that will lead up to Lightning Peak. I have never been up this trail, but I met a couple horse campers at the lake in 2024 that had been up the trail in the past.
