Take a full day to trek the 11.2 miles (round-trip) to
Alice Lake, and you won't be sorry. Idaho's El Capitan towers over the alpine lake, which is decked out in red and gold in the fall thanks to the healthy stock of aspens and huckleberry bushes. To get there, follow the Pettit Lake trailhead for about 1 mile until you hit the wilderness boundary, and then it's all dense forests, rippling streams, and vistas of the rugged
Sawtooth peaks. If you have time,
snag a light tent and make it a multi-day backpacking trip.