クリアクリーク郡の湖・トップ17

This high alpine lake is quite the view and a destination for many. **If you plan on parking here to hike Mt. Evans, a reservation is required to park at Summit Lake and must be purchased through recreation.gov PRIOR to the day of your hike. It's $7. All specific and important info can be found at: recreation.gov/timed-entry/10087438

This is a wide, well-landscaped, crushed gravel trail which skirts around the shoreline of Georgetown Lake. The trail crosses the dam at the lake's northern end. Both ends of this segment intersect with steeper trails that take you up the mountain to Dunbarton Mine (north) and the Purdy Trail (south).

There is a large gravel lot here right on the shore of Loch Lomond which provides access to the the trails around the numerous alpine lakes in the area. You can also access James Peak via a connector from the Upper Lakes trail. If your vehicle can't make it up the gravel road you can always park at the bottom and run up.

There is a spur trail off of the South Park Trail before hitting the split to Square Top Mountain. This trail gets you up close and personal with the two alpine lakes fed by the snowmelt on the slopes of the mountain. The lakes are over 12,000 feet in elevation, thus well over treeline. The entire area is a riparian environment and home to wildflowers, pikas, and marmots.

In order to get to Murray Lake, you pass by two other alpine reservoirs. You can actually see all three at the same time from up here. Murray Lake is over 12,000 feet high and well above treeline. The alpine meadows up this high have a little later spring and more wildflowers once the season finally begins.

Naylor Lake is on private property; there is a private road from the parking lot leading straight to its banks, but this route isn't open to the public. There's a viewing area from up above on the Silver Dollar Lakes Trail. This is a super popular trail, and the upper parking lot can fill up quickly. If you don't beat the crowds, just park in the lower lot at Guanella Pass Road and add a little less than a mile on the gravel road.

Abyss Lake is one of the highest alpine lakes in Colorado, sitting at 12,680 feet. The lake itself doesn't seem too many visitors due to its remoteness, but the two 14,000-foot peaks making up its basin walls see lots of crowds. This lake provides a wilderness feel that many of the wilderness trails in the area can not match.

At 10,600 feet, Echo Lake and Echo Lake Mountain Park rest at the base of the 14er Mount Evans. The park area includes some camping (reservations required) and biking and fishing options. There are also running and hiking trails starting and ending at the lake parking area.