The Hidden Lake Trail (out of the Coyote Meadows Trailhead) is a lovely walk through an open forest to the lake. The elevation gain is only 800 feet or so, with a drop of 170 feet down to the lake area. Only one overlook view is available on the trail.
Hidden Lake offers few camping sites. The best area is directly off the trail where it hits the lake, but that area was taken by a group of 10 teens when I arrived. I bushwacked around the lake and found one other place where I was able to set up my small soloing tent. A larger tent would not have fit. Since the lake is located 170 feet below the surrounding terrain, all the sidewalls are steep and loaded with deadfall. The regulations stipulate that you cannot camp within 100 feet of the water, but it would be impossible to set up a tent obeying that directive. Two-tenths of a mile away and up the other side of the ridge is a campable area by a spring. The trail then continues and connects with Conant Basin Trail and then the North Bitch Creek Trail, making a loop of just over 13 miles. For additional mileage, continue on the South Bitch Creek Trail through the Narrows up to Camp Lake.