To reach the Marten Lake trailhead turnoff from highway 21 to Flat Creek dirt road. While the first quarter mile or so of Flat Creek road is open, and commonly used for trailer campers in the Summer, an SUV may be needed to go any farther, depending on the current conditions. The trailhead is easily noticeable on the left side of the road.
Marten Lake is one of Forest and my favorite early season, low elevation, low traffic hikes.
When the snow has slowly receded past Grandjean the next area in the region to open up is the Trap Creek drainage just North of Stanley Lake. The initial part of the trail is commonly flooded in the Spring, and will take some side stepping, but once you have made it past the swamp a mild elevation gain with well maintained bridges lay ahead.
Once the lake is reached the trail will continue South towards Kelley Lake (only a couple more miles) or veer right past the Trap Creek outlet through some nice campsites and towards the Western ‘granite-slide’ into the lake. If you’re making this a day hike this rock field is a great place to stop. It offers warm rocks, easy access for a swim and a view back out of the drainage.
“Thousands of tired, nerve-shaken, over-civilized people are beginning to find out that going to the mountains is going home; that wildness is a necessity” ~John Muir