In the summer months, the trail is used for hiking and horseback riding. In the Winter the trail is used for cross-country skiing and snowshoeing.  The trail is 2 miles from Kachina Chairlift, Phoenix Restaurant, and 4 miles from Twining Campground.

Carson National Forest is in northern New Mexico. It covers an area of 1.5 million acres and has a diverse landscape that ranges from 6,000 feet to 13,161 feet at Wheeler Peak, the highest point in New Mexico. The forest is home to many wildlife species, including the endangered Mexican Spotted Owl and the New Mexico Meadow Jumping Mouse. The forest offers many recreational opportunities, such as skiing, hiking, biking, camping, fishing, and bird watchng. The forest also has cultural and historical significance, as it contains prehistoric ruins, ice caves, lava flows, and ancestral lands of several Native American tribes.

From the parking lot the trail passes the Bavarian Lodge at the bottom of the Kachina Chairlift, Lift No. 4, and follows the east side of Lake Fork Creek for approximately 0.25 miles. Follow the old road along the east side of the creek.  You are on private land for approximately another 0.25 miles, please stay on the trail.  The Wilderness boundary is within half a mile. The trail begins in Engelmann spruce stands and near the upper end opens up into meadowland and scattered rock fields. Williams Lake is a natural lake that does not have fish because it freezes in winter. Camping and campfires are not permitted along the lake shore to prevent damage to soil and water quality. Please select a campsite at least 300 feet from streams, springs, or lakes.  Wheeler Peak is on the ridge line east of the lake and can be reached by climbing the talus slope. Technical rock climbing gear is not needed, but the slope is very steep and very rocky and the trail is unmaintained.  Several avalanche chutes are apparent along the trail, winter travelers should be alert to these hazards, and debris may be present in the spring and summer.