Bear Lake is an underrated high-mountain lake in the Eagle Cap Wilderness that provides a bonus companion lake beside it. The trail itself is a short 0.6 mile spur that is an easy climb, but getting to the junction is no small feat. There is also bonus trail not on the map, continuing past the unnamed lake to the north and climbing up to a saddle to the north of Lookout Mountain. There is an old feint trail the continues over the pass into a nice basin and presumably wraps around Lookout Mountain to connect to another old feint trail that connects to Hobo and Chimney Lakes trails.
The closest access is from Bowman Trailhead where you take the Bowman 1651 Trail 7.2 miles to the junction with Bear Creek Trail 1653. Head north on that trail for 2.3 miles to the junction with the spur that goes up to Bear Lake. This trail junction is where the Washboard Trail comes in, so other access would be that trail via Bear Wallow or all the way up Bear Creek via Boundary trailhead.
There is also an old trail from the lake that stays on the north side of Bear Creek and connects a bit lower down on the Bear Creek Trail.
