An excellent backpack, without a 10-hour drive!

Comments: My son and I hiked the trail the weekend after Thanksgiving, from Russell Park counterclockwise around the lake, camped overnight at Sawyer Camp, and finished up at Cedar Breaks Park the next day. Gorgeous weather, and pretty good autumn foliage! The trail is open, flat, and unshaded along much of the north side of the lake; I imagine it could be brutal in summer. The south side has a lot more trees, shade, rock, and elevation changes. We saw maybe a dozen people in the entire two days (plus about a half-dozen boats), all but one of them very close to either Cedar Breaks or Tejas Camp (where there is vehicle access). I was surprised to find a nice place to backpack, without a numbingly long drive to get to a trailhead!