8 / . Please obey parking signage. Trail, USFS - White River - Eagle-Holy Cross Ranger District, improvements Great exercise hike, definitely got your leg muscles a workout! Great early fall day! Grades moderate past .3 miles (8,955') on a grassy slope between thick aspen stands and the creek. Bus to Hike:Take the freeWest Vail Red busand get off at the Chamonix bus stop. Do not take the trail to the left. At Arosa Drive, turn right and veer right onto Davos Trail. Lots of elevation gain in the beginning but it does even out for periods. Great mix of terrain- from woods to meadows to Aspen groves then finally the lake. Went Friday at noon and saw 4 other groups total in all 10miles. Top half is more difficult with rocky trails. The trail to Booth Lake, just like the Pitkin Lake Trail, is strenuous. Or to see quicksheets for other recreation areas across the Forest, click on the "Recreation Quicksheets" link in the right column and select the appropriate Ranger District. After enjoying the waterfall, leave the valley of meadows and hike up another steep section of the trail. From westbound I-70, exit #180 and turn left (west) on the north frontage road. This trail enters the Holy Cross Wilderness regulations are posted at the trailhead. From these points you'll also have great views back down valley that reveal hidden meadows, ponds and streams. . What this trip may lack in overall miles, it more than makes up for in elevation gain, scrambling, boulder hopping, and overall hard miles on the trail. After about 20 minutes, youll arrive at a couple of fishing ponds followed by an equipment storage yard, but dont worryfrom here the trail gets a lot more scenic, with one section circumnavigating Grouse Mountain. . Phone repair; Tablet repair; Computer repair; Smart Watch Repair; Franchise; Official info (631)676-7111 . Turn right and make another right and drive about .2 mile east. The trail begins adjacent to the trailhead message board. The trail drops down the west side, bottoms out (2.0 miles : 9,715'), and climbs ruggedly out of the meadow with great views back down valley, and NE toward Pitkin Falls (2.5 miles : 10,087). . The streams are easy to cross, use the stones as stepping stones to cross & youll be A-ok. Take your time & enjoy it & takes tons of pics! Distance: 10 miles roundtrip. Alex Spring Reservoir 2. Campsite parking spurs are 30-40' long, but no electric hook-ups, running water or dump stations are available. Six trails are hikers-only (and two are limited to bikes), with the rest accommodating everyone. Trail Adopted By:RA Nelson, Town of Vail Employees, Length:3.0 miles (one way)Difficulty:Moderate. For the remaining 2.0 km, the hike takes you through similar terrain slowly curving around to the final destination: Pitkin Lake. Insider Hints for Pitkin Lake Trail 4 Bath. The views from the top of this steep trail include Vail Mountain, Mount of the Holy Cross, and beyond. LockA locked padlock You will see and experience a lot of phenomenal scenery during this hike. Length:10 miles (one way)Difficulty:Moderate. Be mindful of false spurs along this shifting segment. He wasnt super aggressive, just seemed curious but he definitely got way too close for comfort at times. Trail Adopted By:Vail Public Safety, Vail Recreation District, East West Partners, Town of Vail Employees, Marriott Streamside, Length:3.73 miles (one way)Difficulty:Easy. Summer and fall hikers should find an open trail. We strongly encourage taking the freeEast Vail blue line shuttle, which runs every 30 minutes, from the Vail Transportation Center to the Falls at Vail bus stop. It wasn't slippery at all. Alpine Lake Hike If you have all day, take a classic Colorado hike to a pristine alpine lake. The river is situated in Eagle County and drains part of the Rocky Mountains at the south end of Gore Range via Gore Valley. Not many people on a Monday. It scales a ridge and edges back to the valley center (4.25 miles : 11,277'), where it levels beside Pitkin Creek to the south edge of Pitkin Lake (4.45 miles : 11,362'). From the top of Meadow Mountain, you can descend the Whiskey Creek trail, then turn right on the Everkrisp trail for a 10.1 mile loop that will return you to the Meadow Mountain trailhead. Blue Lake 14. Length:3.7 miles (one way)Difficulty:Moderate. Be mindful of private property in the area and only park in designated spaces. In a quarter mile, the you will reach the parking area for Pitkin Lake Trail. With a round-trip hike of almost 11 miles and an elevation gain of over 3,000 feet, this wonderful hike is another one in the Vail area that is a must-do venture. 3.0 km in, the trail becomes heavily forested; however, it soon opens up to a beautiful meadow with even better views of the Gore Range. From westbound I-70, exit #180 and turn right (east) on the north frontage road. To avoid trampling sensitive vegetation and to prevent soil erosion, please stay on the trail at all times. The descend was steep and my back got badly injured shortly after, so I could neither walk or stand for many months after that hike. Booth Creek Falls, whose intertwined torrents plunge 60 feet, has earned its rep as Vails most dramaticand popularcascade. This trail enters the Eagles Nest Wilderness regulations are posted at the trailhead. Do not park in undesignated areas; there are only fifteen designated parking spaces. Trail was all ours remainder of hike. The Gore Range comes into view, sitting picturesquely at the back of the valley. Turn right and proceed east on the North Frontage Road for 0.5 miles to Buffehr Creek Road. It joins the creek for a moment (1.5 miles : 9,516') before climbing steeply to a crest overlooking a wide berth in the valley, a good place to scan for wildlife (1.85 miles : 9,765'). Along the way, there are good views of Vail Mountain. The trail begins from the south end of the parking lot near the white house. Big Pine Lake 9. Overall though insanely beautiful and a great backpacking spot. Distance: 1.8 miles each way (to the falls) Elevation gain: 1,800 feet Difficulty: Moderate Get there: From the Vail Village or Lionshead parking structures, take the East Vail Blue Line to the Booth Falls bus stop; walk a quarter mile up Booth Falls Road to the Booth Lake trailhead. After enjoying your well-earned time at the lake, follow the same trail back, through Pitkin Creek drainage, to finish your hike! The trail passes beaver ponds and the remains of old mining camps as well as Bighorn Falls. We started around 7am, it had snowed quite a bit the night before so following the trail was tough in a few spots (thankful for the people who walked before us and left some footprints). This is an amazing hike! Wonderful hike! Campfires are permitted for dispersed camping in the backcountry, with potential seasonal restrictions. At mile 6.5 you will pass Red and White Mtn Road-FSR 734. Take the North Frontage Road west to Red Sandstone Road. Use right two lanes to take exit 180. Gorgeous, long and hard, but well worth it. Find adventures and camping on the go, share photos, use GPX tracks, and download maps for offline use. The Pitkin Lake Trailhead is located .3 miles east of Exit #180 from I-70 on the North Frontage Road. Join a supporting community of travelers and adventurers sharing their photos and local insights. Above 10,000 feet the trees thin and the terrain changes offering views of the Gore Range. This trail enters the Eagles Nest Wilderness regulations are posted at the trailhead. Please enable JavaScript in your browser for a better user experience. Fallen trees along the trail are evidence of past avalanches. Dogs are permitted, butmust be kept on a leashin order to protect wildlife and the hiking experience of other trail users. Trail Adopted By:Eagle Summit Wilderness Alliance, WEBSITE DESIGN BY GRANICUS - Connecting People and Government, North Trail (Trapper's Run) (CLOSED April 15 June 20), North Trail (Cortina Lane to Buffehr Creek) (CLOSED April 15 June 20), North Trail (Buffehr Creek to Red Sandstone) (CLOSED April 15 June 20), North Trail (Red Sandstone to Son of Middle Creek) (CLOSED April 15 June 20), Son of Middle Creek (CLOSED April 15 June 20), Buffehr Creek Trail (CLOSED April 15 June 20). Bus Tours. and 1 other. Starting in Lionshead, Vail, CO take the Gondola 19 up to the top of the mountain and head west straight out past Chair 26 and towards the Vail Mountain Wedding deck. The trail is accessible throughout Lionshead and Vail Village along Gore Creek. Bring lots of water!! Access:From I-70, take Exit 176 for Vail. Grouse Lake trail begins on a logging road but turns to singletrack after 0.3 mile. Ted Katauskas After a mile, it crosses a bridge over Middle Creek in a cool spruce/fir forest. We didnt see much wildlife, but that could have been because of the snowfall. You will be crossing streams & water puddles right on thr trail. 234 Pitkin, James 190 Plumb, Valerie 97 Poole, Martin 83 Richards, Jane 461 Ridge, James 217 . Its muddy the last mile and a half so be prepared with the right shoes. Merge right and travel south 2.7 miles and turn left onto Cemetery Road. Stay left here. The freeEast Vail blue line shuttle, runs every 30 minutes from the Vail Transportation Center to the Booth Falls stop. Enjoy the view and get ready for several more bench sections that have alternating steep climbs and then beautiful meadows that will be filled with wildflowers in July and August. Take the next right on to Cortina Lane, which will take you to the trailhead. Booth Lake is a beautiful lake tucked away in an alpine cirque with fantastic wildflowers. Borah Lake 18. Pitkin Lake is in Colorado and has an elevation of 11,388 feet. I was pretty miserable the whole time and didn't make it it the falls . Pitkin, LA Weather Forecast | AccuWeather Current Weather 7:26 AM 62 F RealFeel 63 RealFeel Shade 63 Air Quality Excellent Wind N 1 mph Wind Gusts 4 mph Cloudy More Details Current Air. Big Lake 8. The trail climbs very steeply for the first 3 miles, gaining about 2,500 feet. Around mile 3, the trail passes through open meadows and stands of subalpine fir and Englemann spruce, offering a chance to see the Grand Traverse, a continuous 12,000 foot ridge connecting all the peaks and high drainages of the Gore Range. Look for and find the trail head marker that stands alone and is clearly visible. There is a porta potty. Travel 1 mile to Booth Falls Road and turn right (north). Blue Lake. Please respect private property rights. Share sensitive information only There is no trail on the saddle between the two lakes so be sure to have a good map and directions. From here the trail enters an aspen stand, and openings along the way provide scenic views to the south and east. At about 3.75 miles in the trail crosses the west fork of Pitkin Creek and there is a large campsite past that crossing. Pitkin Lake is located 4.45 miles north of Vail in the Eagles Nest Wilderness Area. Length:4.8 miles (one way)Difficulty:Moderate. The grade levels out somewhat as the trail passes through mature aspen groves and spruce-fir forests and a series of moraines from an ancient glacial retreat. The Gore Valley Trail runs the length of the Gore Creek/Vail Valley. Secure .gov websites use HTTPS A lock This description will assume you have access to the lifts at Vail by parking at one of the many resort/town parking areas. Wearing proper foot wear will enhance your hiking experience. Pitkin Lake Trail makes for an adventure-filled day hike. . Access:Travel west on I-70 to exit 171 for Minturn, Leadville, and Highway 24. For a map of the trail, please visitHiking Project. Together these gardens contain about 2,000 varieties of plants, including over 500 different varieties of wildflowers and alpine plants. But perhaps the best value comes from Pitkin Creek, which climbs via singletrack to Pitkin Lake at 11,400 feet. Aspen School District No. From the fork, both forks climb steeply though spruce and fir forest into the alpine tundra. Call 860-327-5498 for . 18. Begin the descent to Red Sandstone via a series of switchbacks where the stand of aspen begins to thin. You can make the crossing rock-to-rock or perhaps you can walk across a large fallen tree that is just upstream. It fills a large cirque just above treeline at the head of a broad, glacier-carved valley. Trail Adopted By:Eagle River Water & Sand District, Length:3.4 miles (one way)Difficulty:More Difficult. 4 other groups total in all 10miles.2 mile east Vail blue line shuttle, runs every 30 minutes the... 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