We went to Crystal Lakes first; then you drop quite a bit and back up again so it was a workout. The mileage is the usual from trailhead to peak and doesn't include our trip to lakes. We swam in Upper Crystal - it was lovely; then up the peak. At the time, I was unaware it had been a site. We just went up for the view. You can backpack to the lakes and camp there, but you need a park permit to do so.