gjhikes.com: White River National Forest

Showing posts with label White River National Forest. Show all posts

Whitney Lake

Rating:

Round Trip Distance: 5.2 miles
Difficulty: Moderate
Elevation: 9,158 - 10,926 feet
Cellphone: 0 bars
Time: 4 hrs.
Trailhead: Whitney Lake
Fee: none
Attractions: Forest hike

Whitney Lake is located in the Holy Cross Wilderness Area of the White River National Forest between Minturn and Leadville, Colorado. The quiet little mountain lake sits below timberline surrounded by conifer trees on all sides with the rock east facing slopes of Whitney Peak (13,271 ft.) in the background.

Rating:

Round Trip Distance: 6 miles
Difficulty: Strenuous
Elevation: 10,016 - 11,596 feet
Cellphone: 0 bars
Time: 6 hrs.
Trailhead: Fancy Lake
Fee: none
Attractions: alpine lake

The Fancy Lake trail is located in the Holy Cross Wilderness Area of the White River National Forest between Minturn and Leadville, Colorado. Beginning off of Forest Service Road 727 the trail climbs steeply up the Fancy Creek drainage to Fancy Lake. A loop, that is popular with backpackers, can be formed by continuing past Fancy Lake and over Fancy Pass to Treasure Vault Lake and then over Missouri Pass where a decent is made down the Missouri Lakes drainage and back to the trailhead.

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.