Western Dwoisty Staw

Western Dwoisty Staw is one of the two parts of Dwoisty Staw Gąsienicowy, a lake in the western part of the Gąsienicowa Valley in the Tatra Mountains, lying just above 1657 m above sea level. According to Wikipedia, the western part has an area of 0.9 ha and a depth of up to 7.9 m, and the eastern one 1.41 ha and 9.2 m.

The lake

It is an oligotrophic lake, belonging to the Gąsienicowe Ponds. The bottom is covered with boulders, without silt or sand, and the water level can change by more than 8 metres. In 1882 the rare fairy shrimp Branchinecta paludosa was found here, which died out after the lake was stocked with trout in the 1950s and 1960s.

Access

The pond lies in a strict nature reserve, and no marked trail runs beside it. Hikers are therefore left with viewing the area from the routes in the valley, for example from the side of Czarny Staw Gąsienicowy and the Murowaniec mountain hut.

Practical information

• Location: Zakopane, the Gąsienicowa Valley, Tatra National Park.
• Check the rules of moving around the park on the park's website before setting out into the mountains.