Round Trip Distance: 0.8 miles
Difficulty: Easy
Elevation: 9865 - 9882 feet
Cellphone: 0-3 bars
Time: 30 mins.
Trailhead: Nature
Fee: none (might be day use fee)
Attractions: Forest hike
The Turquoise Lake Nature trail is located in the San Isabel National Forest near Leadville, Colorado. Situated between the Molly Brown and Silver Dollar campgrounds the trail follows a pleasant loop through open meadows and tall stands of conifers. Near the lake it shares its route with the nearly 7 mile long Turquoise Lake trail.
From Leadville find your way to the Turquoise Lake Recreation Area and follow the signs to the Molly Brown campground. The trailhead will be on the left before reaching the campground.
Going in the counter-clockwise direction the trail follows a semi primitive path across an open meadow. While not wheelchair accessible, families with strollers should be able to negotiate the route with little trouble.
Numbered posts identify various stations along the way although, on this trip, no pamphlets were currently available to interpret each stop.
Skirting along the edge of the Molly Brown Campground the trail leaves the meadow behind and enters the trees.
An occasional deer might be seen as you continue around the loop.
As the trail comes closer to the lake it begins sharing routes with the Turquoise Lake trail that follows the shoreline to the May Queen Campground.
Views of the lake and distant mountains can be seen in the places where the trees thin out.
Those that would like to spend a little more time enjoying the ambience will find benches for just that purpose overlooking the lake.
