Chicago Lakes Trail
From Hiking
| Chicago Lakes Trail | ||
|---|---|---|
| Location: | Idaho Springs | |
| Maintained By: | National Forest Service | |
| Starting Elevation: | 10,600' | |
| Elevation Gain: | 1200' | |
| Length: | 7.0 miles | |
| Difficulty: | Strenuous | |
| Last Hiked: | ||
[edit] Finding the Trail Head
From I-70 near the west end of Idaho Springs, take the Mount Evans Road (CO 103), and left on CR 103 (county road) to the Idaho Springs Reservoir. Note that if you reach Echo Lake, you've gone too far.
[edit] Description
The hike is through the Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests. The trail is very steep most of the way to the Lakes, going through forest and an extensive burn area. After the lower lake, you can continue to the upper lake, though it's a steep scramble. Although the lower lake is surrounded by brush, the upper lake is set in an alpine meadow surrounded by a spectacular cirque.
[edit] Experience
The trail nominally starts at Echo lake (by the Mount Evans road). This adds 2.0 miles to the hike, but it ends the hike with a steep 1.0 mile climb, which just seems dumb. Starting from the reservoir skips this part and still makes for a steep climb.
