Round Trip Distance: 1.2 miles
Difficulty: Moderate
MTB Skill level:
Elevation: 4732 - 4810 feet
Cellphone: 0-3 bars
Time: 30 mins.
Trailhead: Mack Mesa Reservoir
Fee: $7/vehicle
Attractions: Lake views
The Mack Mesa trail is part of the Highline Lake State Park trail system north of Loma, Colorado. The 1.2 mile trail makes a loop around Mack Mesa Reservoir with a short out-and-back spur trail that takes it to the top of a small hill overlooking the reservoir named Mack Mesa.
For this post we are beginning the trail at the Mack Mesa trailhead. To get there go through the west entrance at Highline Lake where you can pay the requisite fee and then continue driving past the turnoff of the Highline Lake boat launch to Mack Mesa Reservoir.
Follow the trail west from the trailhead to travel around the lake in the clockwise direction. Since the trail is a loop it will end from the same place where it began.
The trail passes several picnic spots as it travels around the reservoir. One could just as well park at one of these where there is also fishing access and being the trail from there.
As the trail rounds its way to the north side of the reservoir it follows the same route that the longer 18 Hours of Fruita mountain bike endurance race takes albeit in the opposite direction.
The northernmost section of the trail travels along the park's boundary fence where it is hedged in by a tall thick growth of willows.
The trail turns away from the northern boundary fence and heads back towards the lake where it begins a gentle climb around the base of Mack Mesa.
As the trail reaches the top of the rise along the eastern side of the reservoir it comes to the beginning of the spur trail that runs up to the summit of Mack Mesa.
Just before beginning the climb up the mesa the trail is met by the Greasewood Flats trail.
The trail to the top of the mesa is along a moderate slope where the difficulty will depend on what kind of shape you are in.
There are good views of Mack Mesa Reservoir from the summit. Mack Mesa is stocked regularly with rainbow trout and the fishing is usually pretty good.
There is also a good view of Highline Lake from the top of Mack Mesa. Highline Lake is also regularly stocked with trout but other catchable fish include bass, crappie and catfish. Highline Lake is very popular with tubers and waterskiers so the best fishing tends to be in the early morning and late evening hours.
