Day Hiking

Day Hiking Areas

• Boulder Ranger District, west of Boulder

  The Boulder Ranger District encompasses over one hundred thousand acres of the Front Range in western Boulder and northern Gilpin counties. The district includes Indian Peaks and James Peak Wilderness Areas and the Peak to Peak Scenic Byway.

  Many areas of the district are within an easy two-hour drive of Denver and its suburbs, making this one of the top recreation destinations in the state.

• Beaver Reservoir Trailhead
• Brainard Lake Recreation Area

  Brainard Lake Recreation Area is set in a glacially carved valley offering visitors spectacular panoramic views of Brainard Lake, surrounding subalpine forest, and high peaks along the Continental Divide. Because of the area's high elevation, snow typically remains until July. For road updates, check Boulder Ranger District Road Status.

  CAUTION: Several trailheads, such as Long Lake and Mitchell Lake trailheads, lead west into Indian Peaks Wilderness. Visitors entering the Wilderness are responsible for following all Indian Peaks Wilderness regulations and permit requirements. Dogs must be on a leash in the Wilderness.

  Requirements – A parking reservation is required to park inside Brainard Lake Recreation Area. Visit Brainard Lake Recreation Area Seasonal Information to purchase parking reservations and view seasonal regulations for camping, pets, shooting, skiing, and more.

• Beaver Creek Trailhead
• Brainard Gateway Trailhead

  The Brainard Gateway Trailhead is located two miles east of Brainard Lake and is the entry point for the Brainard Lake Recreation Area. The trailhead area features a seasonal gate, large parking area, warming hut, bathrooms, fee station and self-service fee area. For road closures, check the Road Status Table. Check the current weather forecast before visiting.

  PLEASE NOTE: Visitors that hike trails leading west from the Long Lake or Mitchell Lake Trailheads are responsible for following all Indian Peaks Wilderness permit requirements and regulations including group size, camping and campfire restrictions.

  Late-June through mid-October (summer operating season):

  • Summer Season Map
  • Motor vehicle access is available 24 hours a day
  • To protect muddy and snowpacked trails, the Long Lake and Mitchell Lake Trailhead parking areas do not open typically until late June
  • A fee applies. A self-service fee station is located beyond the entry booth.
  • Expect 1-2 hour traffic delays on weekends (there is no bypass route for campers with reservations)
  • Camping is allowed at Pawnee Campground (open July through early September).
  • Check summer trail conditions before your visit
  • See "Restrictions" below for additional regulations

  Mid-October through late June (winter season):

  • Winter Season Map
  • The gate is closed
  • A fee applies. A self-service fee station is located beyond the entry booth.
  • Park at the Brainard Gateway Trailhead for snowshoe and ski access
  • Between November 15 and April 30, dogs are only allowed on the Brainard Lake and Lefthand Park Reservoir Roads
  • Check winter trail conditions before your visit
  • See "Restrictions" below for additional regulations

  Recreational shooting closures exist year round in this area. Hunting is allowed in accordance with regulations set by the Colorado Parks & Wildlife. Moose are present in the area. Be considerate of all wildlife. Approaching closely can be threatening to the wildlife and their reactions are dangerously unpredictable. 

• Little Raven (#802)
• Waldrop (#814)
• Long Lake Trailhead

  One of the most popular trailheads on the Boulder Ranger District, Long Lake Trailhead is located at the west end of the Brainard Lake Recreation Area. Parking is available for 30 vehicles. In the summer, hosts are available to answer questions. This trailhead provides access to Pawnee Pass, Jean Lunning, and Isabelle Glacier trails within the Indian Peaks Wilderness.

  Visitors that hike trails leading west from the Long Lake or Mitchell Lake Trailhead, are responsible for following all Indian Peaks Wilderness regulations and permit requirements!

  • COTREX Map
  • Trailhead Map
  • Crater Lake Designated Campsite Map

  This trailhead is open seasonally. For current information on road openings and closures, check the Road Status Table.

• Isabelle Glacier (#908)
• Jean Lunning (#907)
• Pawnee Pass (#907)
• Mitchell Lake Trailhead

  One of the most popular trailheads on the Boulder Ranger District, Mitchell Lake Trailhead is located at the west end of the Brainard Lake Recreation Area. Parking is available for 60 vehicles. Trailhead hosts are available to answer questions on summer weekends. This trailhead provides access to Mitchell Lake, Mount Audubon and Beaver Creek trail within the Indian Peaks Wilderness.

  Visitors that hike trails leading west from the Long Lake or Mitchell Lake Trailhead are responsible for following all Indian Peaks Wilderness Regulations and permit requirements. Camping and campfires are prohibited within the Four Lakes Backcountry Zone.

  View a COTREX map.

  View a trailhead map.

  This trailhead is open seasonally. For current information on road openings and closures, check the Road Status Table.

• Mitchell Lake (#912)
• Mount Audubon (#913)
• Red Rock Trailhead

  Red Rock Trailhead is one of four trailheads for the Sourdough Trail and serves as the winter trailhead for Brainard Lake Recreation Area.

  View an area map here.

• CMC (#814.2)
• Bright Extension Trailhead
• Bright Trailhead
• Buchanan Pass Wilderness Trailhead
• Ceran Saint Vrain Trailhead
• Coney Flats Trailhead

  Coney Flats Trailhead is at the west end of Coney Creek Road, approximately 3.5 miles west of Beaver Reservoir. Coney Creek Road is a rough, native-surface road for experienced four-wheel-drivers only. There is a deep stream crossing that may be impassable at times, just east of Coney Flats. Parking is limited.

  The free Boulder Ranger District Motor Vehicle Use Map displays National Forest System (NFS) routes open to motorized travel and is available online.

  The Coney Creek Road is open seasonally. For current information on road openings and closures, check the road status table.

  View an area map here.

• Coney Lake (#914)
• Continental Divide
• Coulson Gulch Trailhead
• Dry Saint Vrain Trailhead
• East Portal Trailhead

  Provides access to South Boulder Creek Trail, Forest Lakes Trail, Crater Lakes Trail, Ute Trail and the Continental Divide Trail inside the James Peak Wilderness.

  View an area map here.

• Crater Lakes (#819)
• Forest Lakes (#809)
• South Boulder Creek (#900)
• Forest Lakes Trailhead
• Forsythe Canyon Trailhead
• Fourth of July Trailhead

  This trailhead is accessed by five miles of rough, two-wheel-drive road. It is exceedingly popular, and parking is limited, especially on summer weekends. In winter, motorized access is typically not possible. Fourth of July Trailhead provides access to  Arapaho Pass, Diamond Lake, and  Arapaho Glacier Trails inside the Indian Peaks Wilderness.

  At this trailhead is a small campground owned and operated by the City of Boulder called Buckingham Campground. Private property also exists in this area. Do not trespass.

  • COTREX Map
  • Caribou and Crater Lake Designated Campsite Map
• Arapaho Pass (#904)
• Diamond Lake (#975)
• Front Range Trailhead
• Hessie Trailhead

  Hessie Trailhead provides access to Indian Peaks Wilderness and  Devils Thumb,  Lost Lake,  King Lake,  Woodland Lake and  Diamond Lake trails. Approximately one mile of trails leading west lie outside the Indian Peaks boundary. West of the boundary, wilderness regulations apply and permits are required for camping. This trailhead is extremely popular during the summer months and parking is limited. Please use the Boulder County Hessie Shuttle on summer and fall weekends and holidays. In winter, access is typically from the town of Eldora. Parking is limited and located near the trailhead and Hessie Cabin.

  • COTREX Map
  • Diamond & Jasper Lake Designated Campsite Map
• Devils Thumb (#902)
• King Lake (#901)
• Lost Lake (#813)
• Woodland Lake (#811)
• James Peak Lake Trailhead

  This trailhead provides access to the James Peak Lake and Ute trails. Four-wheel drive is required for driving to James Peak Lake Trailhead. This road is not plowed in the winter.

  View an area map here.

• James Peak Lake (#804)
• Ute (#803)
• Lefthand Trailhead
• Middle Saint Vrain Trailhead

  Middle Saint Vrain Trailhead lies at the west end of Camp Dick Campground. There is parking for 30 vehicles, with room for a small horse trailer. Four-wheel-drive high clearance vehicles may be able to continue four miles west on the rough Middle Saint Vrain Road (National Forest System Road 114) to Buchanan Pass Trailhead. Middle Saint Vrain Trailhead provides access to Buchanan Pass Trail and the Middle Saint Vrain four-wheel-drive road.

  The Middle Saint Vrain road and trailhead access are open seasonally: Road Status Table. The Motor Vehicle Use Map is available online.

• Buchanan Pass (#910)
• Saint Vrain Glacier (#917)
• Osprey Point Trailhead

  Located on the south shore of Gross Reservoir, Osprey Point Trailhead provides access to the Inlet Trail.

  Gross Reservoir is managed by Denver Water. Please visit their website for regulations and additional information.

  View an area map here.

• Inlet
• Rainbow Lakes Trailhead

  Located east of the Rainbow Lakes Campground, this newly constructed trailhead provides access to the Rainbow Lakes and Arapaho Glacier Trails inside the Indian Peaks Wilderness.

  Vehicle access to this trailhead is seasonal. For current information on road openings and closures, check the Road Status Table.

  View an area map here.

• Arapaho Glacier (#905)
• Rainbow Lakes (#918)
• Saint Vrain Mountain Trailhead
• Sourdough Trailhead

  The Sourdough Trailhead is the main trailhead for the Sourdough Trail #835 and is the trails southernmost access point.

  View an area map here.

• Sourdough (#835)
• South Saint Vrain Trailhead
• West Magnolia Trailhead
• Winiger Ridge
• Canyon Lakes Ranger District, west of Fort Collins

  Canyon Lakes Ranger District is located in north-central Colorado and encompasses approximately 650,000 acres in the Roosevelt National Forest, mostly in Larimer County. The Canyon Lakes Ranger District offers visitors a variety of recreation opportunities throughout the year, and also provides for traditional uses, such as permits for firewood gathering and grazing. We are home to four Wilderness areas, three national recreation trails, two historic districts, and Colorado’s only Wild and Scenic River.

  State Highways 34, 36 and 14 allow for easy access to one of our many hiking trails, campgrounds, four-wheel drive roads, and lakes and streams.

• Beaver Creek (#942)
• Big South Trailhead (#944)
• Blue Lake Trailhead (#959)
• Browns Lake (#941)
• Bulwark Ridge (#928-1)
• Cache la Poudre River
• Cameron Pass Winter Recreation
• Comanche Lake (#990)
• Corral Creek (#989)
• Crosier Mountain Garden Gate (#931)
• Crosier Mountain Glen Haven (#931-2)
• Crosier Mountain Rainbow (#981)
• Danner Pass (#926)
• Emmaline Lake (#945)
• Fish Creek (#993)
• Flowers (#939)
• Granite Ridge (#991)
• Green Ridge/Lost Lake
• Greyrock Trailhead (#946)/Greyrock Meadows (#947)
• Hewlett Gulch Trailhead (#954)
• Homestead Meadows
• Hourglass (#984)
• Jacks Gulch Trailhead
• Killpecker (#956)
• La Poudre Pass Trailhead
• Lady Moon Trailhead (#985)
• Lily Mountain (#933)
• Link (#963)
• Link-McIntyre Trailhead
• Lion Gulch Trailhead (#949)
• Little Beaver Creek (#948)
• Lookout Mountain (#934)
• Lower Dadd Gulch (#988)
• McIntyre (#966)
• McIntyre Creek (#996)
• McIntyre Lake (#964)
• Medicine Bow (#965)
• Miller Fork (#997)
• Mount Margaret Trailhead (#167)
• Mount McConnel (#992) Kreutzer Nature
• Mountain Park Campground
• Mummy Pass (#937)
• North Fork (#929)
• North Lone Pine (#953)
• Rawah Trailhead (#961)
• Roaring Creek (#952)
• Round Mountain (#969)
• Signal Mountain (#928-2)
• Stormy Peaks (#980)
• Trap Park (#995)
• Twin Sisters (#998)
• West BranchTrailhead (#960)
• Young Gulch (#999)
• Zimmerman (#940)
• Zimmerman Lake Trailhead (#977)
• Clear Creek Ranger District, near Idaho Springs

  Located along the I-70 corridor of Clear Creek County in the town of Idaho Springs, Clear Creek Ranger District manages approximately 200,000 acres in four different counties. Come climb a mountain 14,000 feet above the ocean's tides, take a relaxing drive through the Rocky Mountains, or wet your fishing line in one of the many alpine lakes and streams. 

• Alpine Gardens Loop (#49)
• Bakerville-Loveland (#60)
• Bakerville-Loveland Trailhead
• Barbour Fork Trailhead
• Bard Creek (#83)
• Beartrack Lakes (#43)
• Beaver Meadows (#44)
• Berthoud Pass Trailhead
• Bierstadt Trailhead
• Butler Gulch
• Camp Rock Trailhead
• Captain Mountain (#46)
• Captain Mountain Trailhead
• Chicago Lakes (#52)
• Chief Mountain (#58)
• Chief Mountain Trailhead
• Cub Creek (#40)
• Cub Creek Trailhead
• Echo Lake Trailhead
• Grays Peak (#54)
• Grays Peak Trailhead
• Guanella Pass Trailhead
• Hassell Lake (#84)
• Hells Hole (#53)
• Hells Hole Trailhead
• Herman Gulch (#98)
• Herman Gulch Trailhead
• Jones Pass Trailhead
• Kingston Peak
• Loch Lomond
• Lost Creek (#42)
• Loveland Pass Trailhead
• Lower Goliath Trailhead
• Lower Maxwell Falls Trailhead
• Maxwell Falls Lower (#111)
• Maxwell Falls Upper (#111)
• Mestaa’ėhehe Mountain Fire Lookout
• Mount Bierstadt (#711)
• Mount Blue Sky - West Ridge via Mount Spalding
• Mount Blue Sky NRT (#51)
• Mount Blue Sky Recreation Area & Scenic Byway

  The Scenic Byway to Mount Blue Sky climbs over 7,000 feet in its 28-mile length, reaching an altitude of 14,130' feet. Idaho Springs serves as the starting point to the byway, which is the highest paved road in North America! This drive offers visitors scenic views of the Continental Divide, mountain goat and bighorn sheep herds, marmots, birds and apline wildflowers, and the Rocky Mountain Bristlecone Pine trees. The Mount Blue Sky Recreation Area offers easy access to Colorado’s inspiring high mountain environment. Take a short walk to the top of your first 14er! Overlook spectacular views of distant mountain peaks, alpine lakes and glacier valleys!  Walk amongst the oldest living organisms on earth! A drive to the top of Mount Blue Sky will take your breath away, in more ways than one!

  The Scenic Byway to Mount Blue Sky is jointly managed with the Colorado Department of Transportation.

  Improvements to a section of Mount Blue Sky Scenic Byway (Colo. Highway 5) will impact visitors in 2024 and 2025. Construction will begin in late July or early August 2024 with a temporary lane closure in the project area near Summit Lake. Visitors may experience traffic delays. Starting Sept. 3, 2024, through all of 2025, Mount Blue Sky Highway will be closed to motorized and non-motorized travel (foot, bike, etc.). A public closure area will span from the CDOT gate on Colo. Highway 5 through the project area, above Summit Lake. Access to the Mount Blue Sky summit will only be available from various hiking trails. The area will reopen, as conditions allow, on Memorial Day weekend 2026.

  Mount Blue Sky History - Learn about the history of the mountain and the road.

  In 2019, Clear Creek County supported petitions by the Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes of Oklahoma and the Wilderness Society to change the name of Mount Evans, which was named after John Evans, the territorial governor of Colorado who authorized the Sand Creek Massacre. After two nation-to-nation consultations, the Board on Geographic Names voted in September 2023 to change the name to Mount Blue Sky. The new name holds significance to the Arapaho who were known as the Blue Sky People and to the Cheyenne who have an annual renewal of life ceremony called Blue Sky. Following the name change of the mountain, the Colorado Department of Transportation changed the name of the state highway to the Mount Blue Sky Scenic and Historic Byway. As of this printing, legislation to change the name of the Mount Evans Wilderness area has been introduced.

  Watch this helpful video by Colorado Parks and Wildlife for important information to know before visiting Mount Blue Sky.

• Mount Blue Sky Summit
• Mt. Goliath Natural Area/Dos Chappell Nature Ctr.

  Located within the Mount Blue Sky Recreation Area, the Mount Goliath Research Natural Area contains 160 acres set aside for the protection, study, interpretation and enjoyment of the Rocky Mountain bristlecone pine. The Dos Chappell Nature Center contains excellent exhibits that interpret how living things adapt to the harsh environments of the sub-alpine and alpine tundra. The main attraction is the Rocky Mountain bristlecone pine tree. These trees are 700 to 1,600 years old, making them some of the oldest tree species in the world. As you walk in the nature center, a 1,000-year-old nonliving example grasps your attention. Once you've viewed the exhibits, explore the nearby rock gardens and examine the small wildflowers in bloom behind the nature center. Experience an enchanted forest of old gnarled trees by traveling through the quarter-mile Bristlecone Loop Trail.

  The building, exhibits, and grounds are the result of a cooperative effort between Denver Botanic Gardens, Volunteers for Outdoor Colorado, and the U.S. Forest Service. 

• M. Walter Pesman (#50)
• Summit Lake Park
• Resthouse Meadows (#57)
• Silver Dollar Lake (#79)
• Silver Dollar Lake Trailhead
• South Chicago Creek (#90)
• South Chicago Creek Trailhead
• Summit Lake Trailhead
• Upper Goliath Trailhead
• Upper Maxwell Falls Trailhead
• Watrous Gulch
• Watrous Gulch (#95)
• Pawnee National Grassland, NE of Greeley

  The Pawnee National Grassland lies 35 miles east of Fort Collins, CO and 25 miles northeast of Greeley, CO in Weld County. Contained within the 30-by-60 mile area are 193,060 acres managed by the Pawnee National Grassland. The rest of the land is a checkerboard of private land, State of Colorado ownership and the Central Plains Experimental Range.

  Please refer to a Motor Vehicle Use Map for location of public lands, as it is intermixed with a lot of private land. There are also some two-tracks that are closed to the public.

  The area is rich in history and wildlife. A wide variety of plants and animals call the Pawnee National Grassland home. The wildflowers, flora and fauna are adapted to the environments of the area.

  Come visit for a day or stay a while. Your national grasslands have much to offer year-round.

• Birdwalk Trailhead
• Crow Valley Recreation Area

  Crow Valley Recreation Area is set in the Pawnee National Grassland, a very popular site with bird enthusiasts. Over 200 species can be found in the area. This oasis on the prairie has cottonwoods which provide some shade and small meadows, and is surrounded by northeastern Colorado's short-grass prairie. There are ample opportunities for sports and recreation for the whole family.

  Crow Valley sits at an elevation of 4,800 feet. Cottonwood and elm trees dot the landscape, providing pleasant shade in the family campground. However, the group campsites have little to no shade. Short grass prairie surrounds the recreation area. The Pawnee National Grassland sits east of the Rocky Mountains in Colorado. Eroding creek drainages crisscross the area. Elevations range from 4,900 feet on the prairie to 9,500 feet at the summit of the Pawnee Buttes.

  Birding, exploring nature trails, viewing wildlife and star gazing are popular activities at Crow Valley. A volleyball court, horseshoe pit and ball field are available. The Lee and Dorothy Rhoads Farm Implement Museum is located within the recreation area. The collection of tools, donated by the descendants of homesteaders, can help one imagine what life was like in pioneer days. 

  View a recreation area map.

• Trail of the Mourning Dove
• Pawnee Buttes Trailhead
• Sulphur Ranger District, near Winter Park & Granby

  Recreational opportunities abound in this haven located high up in the Rocky Mountains. The Sulphur Ranger District is over 442,000 acres in Grand County, Colorado. Being surrounded by mountain peaks, meadows and lakes, you are in for a truly majestic experience in this forest.

  Summers are filled with mountain biking near the towns of Winter Park and Fraser, hiking or backpacking in one of the five Wilderness areas or in the Arapaho National Recreation Area (ANRA), and enjoying the wildflowers and wildlife.

  Many of the hiking trails are also open to equestrians. The Three Lakes of Grand, Granby and Shadow Mountain are great places to escape with your boat or a fishing pole for a day. The Stillwater area next to the town of Grand Lake has miles of trails for off-highway vehicle (OHV) enthusiasts. Camping cannot be overlooked either with 15 campgrounds and nearly 500 campsites.

• Arapaho National Recreation Area

  Arapaho National Recreation Area covers 35,000 acres in the upper reaches of the Colorado River Valley. Established by Congress in 1978, the area offers world-class recreation opportunities and contains five major reservoirs: Lake Granby, Shadow Mountain Reservoir, Monarch Lake, Willow Creek Reservoir and Meadow Creek Reservoir. Adjacent to the recreation area is Grand Lake. With its deep, clear blue waters, it’s the largest natural lake in Colorado.

  The recreation area has a fee program that is essential to providing quality facilities and services such as boat ramps, campgrounds, picnic areas, trail maintenance, and more.

  To visit Arapaho National Recreation Area –

  Step 1 - Are you visiting a fee area?

  Step 2 - Purchase your pass

  Step 3 - Proof of purchase

  Step 4 - Review activity-specific requirements

• Bill Creek (#28)
• Bill Miller Trailhead

  The Bill Miller Trailhead provides access into the Troublesome Basin roadless areas. This is a non-motorized, multi-use trail. There are no developed facilities.

  View a COTREX area map here.

• Bill Miller (#53)
• Buffalo Creek (#51)
• Byers Peak Trailhead
• Corona Lake (#8)
• Darling Creek Trailhead
• Devils Thumb Trailhead
• Doe Creek Trailhead

  The Doe Creek Trailhead is located in the Arapaho National Recreation Area and provides access to many trails in the Doe Creek Trail System.

  There are no facilities and there is parking for 8 vehicles.

  View a COTREX area map here.

• Doe Creek System
• East Shore Trailhead
• Fraser River
• Green Ridge (#112)
• Jones Pass (#96)
• Junco Lake Trailhead

  The Junco Lake Trailhead is located in the Arapaho National Recreation Area and provides access to several trails in the Indian Peaks Wilderness. 

  View a COTREX area map here.

  Note: The access road to this trailhead is closed to motor vehicles between November 15 and June 15.

• Caribou Pass (#11)
• Columbine Lake (#11.1)
• Keyser Ridge Trailhead
• Kinney Creek Trailhead

  Trailhead providing access to Byers Peak Wilderness via the Kinney Creek Trail #22.

• Horseshoe Lake (#23)
• Kinney Creek (#22)
• Lake Evelyn Trailhead

  The Lake Evelyn Trailhead provides access to several trails in the Byers Peak Wilderness. There are no facilities.

  Note: The access road to this trailhead is closed to motor vehicles between Nov. 15 and June 15. A 4-wheel drive, high clearance vehicle is recommend to reach this trailhead.

  View a COTREX area map here.

• Bottle Pass (#16)
• Lake Evelyn (#15)
• St. Louis Divide (#17)
• Leland Creek Trailhead

  The Leland Creek Trailhead is located west of Fraser near the Fraser Experimental Forest. It provides access to several popular mountain biking trails.

• Flume (#82)
• Tipperary Creek (#68)
• Lost Lake Trailhead

  The Lost Lake Trailhead is a minor trailhead that provides access to Lost Lake in the Stillwater Pass Area. There is parking for about 5 cars. There are no facilities.

  Horse trailer parking is limited.

  Note: The access road to this trailhead is closed to motor vehicles between Nov. 15 and June 15.

  View a COTREX area map here.

• Lost Lake (#30.1 & #30.2)
• Wolverine Bypass (#30)
• Lower Creekside Trailhead
• Monarch Lake Trailhead

  Monarch Lake Trailhead is located in the Arapaho National Recreation Area and serves as a major access portal for Indian Peaks Wilderness. Facilities include parking for approximately 40 vehicles, restrooms and a wilderness information cabin.

  View a COTREX area map here.

   

• Arapaho Pass (#6)
• Buchanan Pass (#2)
• Cascade Creek (#1)
• Gourd Lake (#2.1)
• High Lonesome (#7)
• Mt. Nystrom Trailhead
• North Supply Trailhead

  North Supply Trailhead provides access to several trails in Never Summer Wilderness Area and Bowen Gulch Protection Area. There is parking available for 10 vehicles.

  Note: The access road to this trailhead is closed to motor vehicles between Nov. 15 and June 15.

  View a COTREX map here.

• Blue Ridge (#20)
• Wolverine (#129)
• Parika Lake (#29.2)
• Roaring Fork Trailhead

  Roaring Fork Trailhead is located in Arapaho National Recreation Area and provides access to Indian Peaks Wilderness. There is parking for approximately 15 vehicles.

• Knight Ridge (#102)
• Roaring Fork (#3)
• Watanga Lake (#3.1)
• Rogers Pass Trailhead
• Rollins Pass Trailhead
• Second Creek Trailhead
• Shadow Mountain Dam Trailhead
• South Fork Trailhead
• St. Louis Lake Trailhead

  The St. Louis Lake Trailhead is an unconventional trailhead. From this trailhead, hikers must travel 3 miles of road before arriving at the single-track trail to the lake. Visitors can bike the first 3 miles and leave them at the bike rack provided.

  Note: This trail is in the Fraser Experimental Forest. Camping is prohibited, except for within a 1 mile radius of St. Louis Lake.

  The access road to this trailhead is closed to motor vehicles between Nov. 15 and June 15.

  View a COTREX map here.

   

   

   

• St. Louis Lake (#14)
• St. Louis Pass (#14.1)
• Trail Creek Trailhead
• Ute Pass Trailhead
• Ute Peak Trailhead
• Williams Fork Trailhead
• Williams Peak Trailhead
• Wilderness areas

  The 1964 Wilderness act defines Wilderness as "an area where the earth and its community of life are untrammeled by man, where man himself is a visitor who does not remain ... an area protected and managed so as to preserve its natural conditions."

  Wilderness helps protect critical habitats for a variety of species, as well as important natural resources, such as clean water. Wilderness also provides unique opportunities for recreation, challenge and solitude.

  Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests includes ten Wilderness areas that encompass many of Colorado's peaks and forested terrain which are popular with hikers, backpackers and mountain climbers.

  Please view the special regulations associated with Wilderness and always use Leave No Trace techniques to help keep these areas wild, clean and pristine.

  Wilderness areas at Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests:

  • Byers Peak Wilderness (Sulphur Ranger District)
  • Cache la Poudre Wilderness (Canyon Lakes Ranger District)
  • Comanche Peak Wilderness (Canyon Lakes Ranger District)
  • Indian Peaks Wilderness (Boulder and Sulphur Ranger Districts)
  • James Peak Wilderness (Boulder and Clear Creek Ranger Districts)
  • Mount Evans Wilderness (Clear Creek Ranger District)
  • Neota Wilderness (Canyon Lakes Ranger District)
  • Never Summer Wilderness (Sulphur Ranger District)
  • Rawah Wilderness (Canyon Lakes Ranger District)
  • Vasquez Wilderness (Sulphur Ranger District)

  Other Protected Areas

  • Fraser Experimental Forest
  • James Peak Protection Area
• Byers Peak Wilderness
• Cache la Poudre Wilderness
• Comanche Peak Wilderness
• Indian Peaks Wilderness
• James Peak Wilderness
• Mount Evans Wilderness
• Neota Wilderness
• Never Summer Wilderness
• Rawah Wilderness
• Vasquez Peak Wilderness