Ruth Lake is accessed via the Ruth Lake Trailhead located along the Mirror Lake Highway. From the trailhead it is a very enjoyable one-mile hike to Ruth Lake which passes by some nice meadows and ponds. While the first mile of the trail is fairly popular, it becomes much-less crowded after you make it past Ruth Lake. Just above Ruth Lake is Naomi Lake, and a little to the west is Hayden Lake, which is located along the base of the mountain. About a half-mile north of Hayden Lake, you will come to Jewel Lake, which is one of my favorite lakes in the area. This is where the trail ends.
On the northwest side of Jewel Lake is a very beautiful meadow with a stream meandering through it that is worth visiting. About a half-mile northeast of Jewel Lake is a lake called Fir Lake which is probably not worth going out of your way for. To save time, just head straight for Cutthroat Lake or Teal Lake. Cutthroat Lake is very scenic and located along the base of a mountain. From Cutthroat you can head up the pass behind it to get to the Lofty Lake Trail and hike to either Kamas or Lofty Lake. Both are very beautiful. If you go to Lofty Lake you can just keep on hiking down the trail and return to Ruth Lake by an alternate route. I did this when visiting in September of 2011. On that trip we also hiked over the ridge from Cutthroat Lake to Kamas Lake, and on over to the Cuberant Lakes. There are a lot of hiking options here.
But back to Cutthroat Lake. If you find yourself in the area I suggest you visit Teal Lake. Teal Lake is a large lake which offers a great view of Hayden Peak. The last time I visited this area, I went straight from Jewel Lake to Teal Lake. This was a nice walk through the forest. I walked until I found Teal Lake's outlet and followed it to the lake. From Teal Lake it is about a mile and half or two miles to Whiskey Island Lake. I really enjoyed the walk to Whiskey Island Lake, as it passed by some beautiful ponds, meadows and streams, but the lake was a bit of a let-down for me.
I had planned to swim out to Whiskey Island for lunch, but when I got to the lake, it was swarming with large mosquito-like bugs. I had no mosquito problems anywhere else I had hiked that day, but they were thick at Whiskey Island Lake. They made it much too bothersome a place to eat lunch at, let alone stop and rest at. I quickly circled the lake before deciding to hike back to a meadow I had passed earlier to have lunch. I was able to explore all the lakes from Ruth to Whiskey Island on a day hike. Once passed Hayden Lake, I did not see another person on my trip, only a moose. This is a very scenic area, and none of the lakes I have mentioned have been dammed. A great place to spend an afternoon making your own way through the forest.
