When you are planning a trip to Colorado you probably always see one warning: elevation sickness. Trust me, it's definitely real and can 100% effect your hiking ability if you're not used to the thin air. BUT there's the other side of dealing with elevation... CLIMBING. Unless I'm feeling extra adventurous, nothing makes me press the back on AllTrails quicker than seeing 1,500+ elevation in the description. You'll often have to put in the leg work (literally) to get those spectacular views hiking in CO, but some trails offer a huge reward for not (as much of) a price....
Interlaken Trail (Twin Lakes)
4.6 miles out & back, 213 feet elevation gain
Interlaken Trail is one of my favorite trials when I want a easy stroll with great views. You'll be walking along the edge of the lake for most of the trail. Towards the end of the trail you'll reach the old Interlaken ghost town that has tons of fun history to read about. If you keep walking past the ghost town and clear the tree line you'll come to a huge open field with INCREDIBLE views of Mount Elbert (highest peak in CO) and the surrounding peaks! Between the lake & mountain views, flat trail, and Colorado history this is the perfect first-timer's hike.
**High clearance vehicle recommended to reach the trailhead.
Old Dillon Reservoir (Dillon)
1.7 miles out & back, 213 feet elevation gain
You'll be too distracted by the scenery on this trail to ever notice you're hiking so close to I-70 and the town of Dillon. As this is a much shorter hike, the climb will seem a little steeper but you'll make plenty of stops along the way because the views are JUST THAT GOOD. After you reach the lake at the top you'll have 360 degree views of Lake Dillon, Ptarmigan Peak, Loveland Pass, and several other famous Summit County peaks. BONUS: Hike this trail mid- to late September for prime leaf season. The trail is surrounded by Aspen trees!
Lake Isabelle (Ward)
5.5 miles out & back, 551 feet elevation gain
Oh, Lake Isabelle. If I was only allowed to hike one trial for the rest of my life this would be it.
Now, we're jumping up a bit in elevation here, but if you've taken time to acclimate to the thinner air you should make it just fine with some rest breaks. Unless you get permits to park at the Long Lake Trailhead, you'll have to take the Niwot Trail from Brainard Lake Recreation Area (permits also required- for more information check out this blog post) until you reach the split for Lake Isabelle. The first portion of the Niwot trail is quite a trek up some switchbacks (once you make it to the big flat boulder in the middle of the trail you'll know you're almost done, keep pushing!) but has a long flat stretch to recover on. Once you're headed to Lake Isabelle you'll have a nice long straight stretch with just the slightest, almost unnoticeable, incline. The stretch right before the lake is where you'll have your biggest challenge. The majority of elevation gain is done in a short .5 mile stretch of switchbacks and some rock scrambling. Take it slow, rest when you need to, and use trekking poles to help you up because once you're at the top you'll get your reward of a beautiful alpine lake surrounded by craggy peaks. Stop for a lunch, fish, or continue on up to the Isabelle Glacier before you enjoy the (almost entirely downhill) trail back to your vehicle.
There's definitely some pro's and con's for when you hike to Lake Isabelle so check out this blog post to see when you may want to give this hike a go.
Three Lakes (Kebler Pass)
3.4 mile loop, 515 feel elevation gain
Three Lakes is located along Kebler Pass in Raggeds Wilderness between Crested Butte and Aspen. The trailhead begins at the first of three lakes, Lost Lake Slough, where there is plenty of parking, restroom facilities, and a campground. To avoid the impact of elevation gain you'll need to go counterclockwise around the loop! If you go clockwise you'll start the hike with a long & extremely steep climb. Going counterclockwise you will have a steady but manageable incline up to your second stop, Lost Lake. Shortly after the trail levels out a bit until you reach a pretty waterfall (with some fun scrambling if you're feeling up to it). You'll have a gradual decline with some amazing panorama views until you reach the turn up to the final stop, Dollar Lake. The trek up to Dollar Lake is a little tough but short enough that it's worth sticking it out. After you soak up the views at Dollar lake you can enjoy all downhill back to Lost Lake Slough!
*$6 parking fee
Bear, Nymph, & Dream Lakes (Rocky Mountain NP)
2.0 miles, 426 feet elevation gain
This is one of the most popular hikes in Rocky Mountain National Park- for a reason! Which means there are some hoops you'll have to jump through to get there. You can read more about hiking in RMNP here. While this hike may be decent gain on a short hike, we did this hike on the first day of our first trip to CO and made it without any issues! Bear Lake will be your first stop with a short, level walk close to the parking lot. To start your way up to Nymph Lake you'll walk a short distance back toward the parking lot until you see the sign for Nymph, Dream, & Emerald Lake. At this point, you'll begin a slow and steady incline towards Nymph Lake where there are plenty of places you can take a rest, grab a snack, and enjoy the distant peaks in the background of the lake. Once you're back on the trail you'll start a bit more strenuous climb with a minimal amount of scrambling up to Dream Lake. It'll be worth the effort when you catch your first glimpse of the peaks towering over Dream Lake, especially if you get there early enough in the morning to witness the peaks reflecting off the glass water surface.
If you're filling up to it, continue on the same trail for another mile and 250 more feet elevation gain to see Emerald Lake.
*Reservations are required to enter the park along with a $30 entry fee or Annual National Parks Pass.
LEAVE NO TRACE
Before you recreate, please learn and understand how to abide by the seven principles of Leave No Trace! I'll do a quick breakdown below, but if you want more information visit the Leave No Trace website.
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