At the end of the path, we reached a valley with small old cottages and a guesthouse nearby. Here you can take a rest, go down to the Hala Gasienicowa and look around. Or you can immediately continue your hike towards Czarny Staw Gąsienicowy lake. We didn‘t stop for long and continued our hike. We decided to stop at this place on the way back. From here, you should follow the blue-marked trail until you reach the water.
![Czarny Staw Gąsienicowy lake summer hike time](https://tripmap.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Czarny-Staw-Gasienicowy-lake-summer-hike-time.jpg)
The lakeshore is beautiful as well as crowded. However, there‘s enough space for everyone, and the shore is a great place for stretching out your legs, eating a sandwich and taking some time to enjoy the trail you just completed.
![Czarny Staw Gąsienicowy lake summer nature](https://tripmap.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Czarny-Staw-Gasienicowy-lake-summer-nature.jpg)
![Czarny Staw Gąsienicowy lake where to hike in zakopane](https://tripmap.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Czarny-Staw-Gasienicowy-lake-where-to-hike-in-zakopane.jpg)
There are a few different trails you can take to continue climbing to the mountains. We chose the black trail leading towards Karb. You should see a steep and high strip – that’s exactly where we continued our hike. This part of the trail is short but very steep. The Czarny Staw Gąsienicowy lake and a few smaller lakes on the other side of the mountains can be seen from the top. At this mountain crossing, we took a rest and admired the spectacular cliffs. If you have the power, you can also climb to the nearby Koscielec peak, which is particularly rocky.
![Czarny Staw Gąsienicowy lake hike trail](https://tripmap.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Czarny-Staw-Gasienicowy-lake-hike-trail.jpg)
![summer hiking in poland Czarny Staw Gąsienicowy lake](https://tripmap.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/summer-hiking-in-poland-Czarny-Staw-Gasienicowy-lake.jpg)
![poland zakopane nature Czarny Staw Gąsienicowy lake](https://tripmap.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/poland-zakopane-nature-Czarny-Staw-Gasienicowy-lake.jpg)
We continued our hike by going down from Karb to the other side of the mountain, towards the smaller lakes. In the valley, there are lots of good spots for stopping and having some snacks. You can also see Kasprowy Wierch (if you have the strength, you can climb it as well). Following the path along the lakes, we came back to the guesthouse and then took the same path we came back to the city.
![Czarny Staw Gąsienicowy lake poland zakopane (2)](https://tripmap.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Czarny-Staw-Gasienicowy-lake-poland-zakopane-2.jpg)
![hike path Czarny Staw Gąsienicowy lake](https://tripmap.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/hike-path-Czarny-Staw-Gasienicowy-lake.jpg)
![Czarny Staw Gąsienicowy lake nature summer](https://tripmap.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Czarny-Staw-Gasienicowy-lake-nature-summer.jpg)
![Czarny Staw Gąsienicowy lake where to hike in zakopane (2)](https://tripmap.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Czarny-Staw-Gasienicowy-lake-where-to-hike-in-zakopane-2.jpg)
![Czarny Staw Gąsienicowy lake house](https://tripmap.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Czarny-Staw-Gasienicowy-lake-house.jpg)
On one of the crossroads, we decided to take the yellow trail instead of the blue so we could go down by a different path than going up. It was really steep on the way back, however, going down is always easier than going up. It‘s interesting that going down you can feel more your knee joints than going up. Finally, we came back to Zakopane, went back to the car parking and drove to search for a champions’ dinner.
![Czarny Staw Gąsienicowy lake hiking trail](https://tripmap.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Czarny-Staw-Gasienicowy-lake-hiking-trail.jpg)
This route is not an easy one, but also not too difficult. If not rushing, travelers with different physical capabilities can complete it.
Other trails:
“A Trip to Zakopane: Dolina Białego, Sarnia Skała, Wodospad Siklawica and Dolina Strążyska (I)”
“A Trip to Zakopane: Hiking to the Giewont peak (III)”