Lily Pad Lake

Rating: 
Round Trip Distance: 4 - 7.8 miles
Difficulty: Moderate
Elevation: 10,010 - 11,508 feet
Cellphone: 0 bars
Time: 4 hrs. 30 mins.
Trailhead: Fryingpan Lakes
Fee: none
Attractions: subalpine lakes

The Lily Pad Lake trail is located east of Basalt, Colorado in the White River National Forest. Beginning at the Fryingpan Lakes trailhead the trail climbs the forested slopes on the western side of the Continental Divide where it joins a network of 4wd Forest Service roads that lead to Lily Pad Lake and beyond. Along the way there are some great views of the Fryingpan River drainage and its surrounding alpine ridgelines.

Tellurium Lake

Rating: 
Round Trip Distance: 8.6 miles
Difficulty: Moderate
Elevation: 9,920 - 10,653 feet
Cellphone: 0 bars
Time: 5 hrs.
Trailhead: Tellurium Lake
Fee: none
Attractions: Subalpine lake, fishing

Tellurium Lake is located in the Holy Cross Wilderness Area of the White River National Forest east of Basalt, Colorado. The picturesque subalpine lake, that offers a distant view of Savage Peak (13,139 ft.), is a good backpacking destination that also has good fishing for Brook and Lake Trout. The lake can be accessed from the south through Henderson Park as well as from the west beginning off of the Burnt Mountain Road which was the route taken for this post.

Savage Lakes

Rating: 
Round Trip Distance: 3.4 miles
Difficulty: Moderate
Elevation: 9,960 - 11,070 feet
Cellphone: 0 bars
Time: 3 hrs.
Trailhead: Savage Lakes
Fee: none
Attractions: subalpine lake, fishing

The Savage Lakes trail is located east of Basalt, Colorado in the Holy Cross Wilderness Area of the White River National Forest. The trail leads to a pair of forested lakes that are in a subalpine setting near timberline that is right below the Continental Divide. The lakes are popular for both day hiking and backpacking and are said to be good Brook and Lake Trout fisheries.

Rocky Fork

Rating: 
Round Trip Distance: up to 14.4 miles
Difficulty: Strenuous
Elevation: 7,658 - 10,052 feet
Cellphone: 0 bars
Time: 2+ hrs.
Trailhead: Rocky Fork
Fee: none
Attractions: Forest hike

The Rocky Fork trail is located east of Basalt, Colorado in the White River National Forest. Beginning at a primitive campground in the Rocky Fork Day Use Area, that is popular with fly fisherman for it's stretch of Gold Medal waters of the Fryingpan River, the trail climbs up the Rocky Fork drainage for just over 7 miles with a connection to the Miller Creek trail near its end. The trail is fairly steep at first but levels off and continues with an easy to moderate slope.