Not every good October hike in Carson country has to end on a summit. Williams Lake Trail No. 62, above Taos Ski Valley, offers a shorter high-country outing with a real alpine payoff: a natural lake at 11,040 feet, tucked in a basin below Wheeler Peak in the Wheeler Peak Wilderness.
The numbers make the lake approachable for a morning or early afternoon walk. The hike is about 3.8 miles round trip, with roughly 1,000 feet of elevation gain, and most hikers take about two to two and a half hours. The trail starts high, near 10,200 feet at the Taos Ski Valley hiker parking area, so the thin air is part of the effort from the first step. Take the climb slowly, drink water, and let the altitude set the pace.
From the parking area, the route works up past the Phoenix area and follows Lake Fork Creek into stands of Engelmann spruce. It crosses meadows and boulder fields before opening out at the lake. Wheeler Peak, at 13,161 feet the highest point in New Mexico, rises on the ridgeline east of the water. Strong, well-prepared hikers can continue toward the summit from the Williams Lake side, but that is a much bigger and steeper day. For most visitors in mid-October, the lake itself is destination enough.
Come for the scenery, not for fishing. Williams Lake is a natural lake that does not hold fish, because it is often too shallow to maintain a fish population. Camping and campfires are not permitted along the lakeshore, to protect soil and water quality, and anyone camping in the area should choose a site at least 300 feet from streams, springs, or lakes. Sitting on the shore with a snack, watching the light move across the peaks, needs no extra equipment.
Mid-October is the tail end of the lake's most popular season, which runs roughly May through October. That timing is the appeal and the caution at once. The summer crowds are gone and the basin is quiet, but weather at 11,000 feet can turn cold and wintry quickly, and snow or ice can linger in shaded stretches. Dress in layers, carry a warm hat and gloves, start early enough to be heading down well before dark, and check current conditions and any Carson National Forest alerts before leaving Taos Ski Valley.
For hikers who want one last alpine lake before winter settles into the Sangre de Cristos, Williams Lake is a sensible choice: a well-known trail, a steady but manageable climb, and a quiet shoreline below the state's highest peak.