Fryingpan Lakes

Rating: 
Round Trip Distance: 8-9.5 miles
Difficulty: Strenuous
Elevation: 9,972 - 11,040 feet
Cellphone: 0 bars
Time: 6 hrs. 30 mins.
Trailhead: Fryingpan Lakes
Fee: none
Attractions: Scenic lakes, backpacking

The Fryingpan Lakes trail is located in the Hunter-Fryingpan Wilderness Area of the White River National Forest east of Basalt, Colorado. The trail travels up a scenic valley to the lakes that form the head waters of the Fryingpan River. On the east side of the valley is a long ridge of the Continental Divide that leads up to Mount Massive (14,421 ft.). In fact, the entire valley is enclosed on 3 sides by ridges that are all over 13,000 feet in elevation. Backpackers typically set up base camp at the first lake with is just under 4 miles from the trailhead and explore further up the valley from there.

Sawyer Lake

Rating: 
Round Trip Distance: 8 miles
Difficulty: Strenuous
Elevation: 9,498 - 11,003 feet
Cellphone: 0 bars
Time: 4 hrs. 30 mins.
Trailhead: Sawyer Lake
Fee: none
Attractions: Scenic lake

The Sawyer Lake trail is located east of Basalt, Colorado in the Hunter Fryingpan Wilderness Area of the White River National Forest. The trail begins at the south end of the Twin Meadows primitive campground where it climbs steadily through a dense pine and spruce forest for 4 miles where nestled in a small basin just above 11,000 feet it comes to Sawyer Lake. The trail is popular with day hikers, backpackers, trail runners and riders on horseback.

Chapman Lake

Rating: 
Round Trip Distance: 2.4 miles
Difficulty: Easy
Elevation: 9615 - 9815 feet
Cellphone: 0 bars
Time: 1 hr. 30 mins.
Trailhead: Chapman Lake
Fee: none
Attractions: Scenic lake

Chapman Lake is located in the Hunter Fryingpan Wilderness Area of the White River National Forest east of Basalt, Colorado. Beginning off of the Chapman Gulch Road the trail climbs gently around the lower north shoulder of Mount Nast (12,467 ft.) for just over a mile before arriving at Chapman Lake. The lake and the entire trail are well secluded within a lush, mostly spruce, forest. Fishing is said to be good at times for brook trout.

Basalt Area (11)

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Chapman Lake       
Round trip distance: 2.4 miles. (Easy)
Elevation: 9615 - 9815 feet · Fee: none

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Fryingpan Lakes       
Round trip distance: 8-9.5 miles. (Strenuous)
Elevation: 9,972 - 11,040 feet · Fee: none

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Lily Pad Lake       
Round trip distance: 4 - 7.8 miles. (Moderate)
Elevation: 10,010 - 11,508 feet · Fee: none

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Lyle Lake/Mormon Lake       
Round trip distance: 6 miles. (Strenuous)
Elevation: 10,735 - 11,670 feet · Fee: none

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Nast Lake       
Round trip distance: 0.4 miles. (Easy)
Elevation: 8713 - 8729 feet · Fee: none

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Rocky Fork       
Round trip distance: up to 14.4 miles. (Strenuous)
Elevation: 7,658 - 10,052 feet · Fee: none

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Ruedi       
Round trip distance: 4.8 miles. (Moderate)
Elevation: 7951 - 9111 feet · Fee: none

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Savage Lakes       
Round trip distance: 3.4 miles. (Moderate)
Elevation: 9,960 - 11,070 feet · Fee: none

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Sawyer Lake       
Round trip distance: 8 miles. (Strenuous)
Elevation: 9,498 - 11,003 feet · Fee: none

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Tellurium Lake       
Round trip distance: 8.6 miles. (Moderate)
Elevation: 9,920 - 10,653 feet · Fee: none

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Twin Meadows       
Round trip distance: 0.8 miles. (Easy)
Elevation: 9459 - 9487 feet · Fee: none

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