So many wildflowers today - saw some White Crowned Sparrows, marmots and chipmunks. My border collie was a little too crazy about the chipmunks. The smoke cleared after some downpours a couple days ago and the visibility today was amazing.
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Beautiful flowers in July, water falls. Most of the hike is shaded with pines.
You need permits to camp in Diamond lake, we expended two nights. You can reach other higher lakes once in the camp.
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Gourd lake is beautiful and all the trails up there are pretty well maintained, great views hiking up the valley and around the river
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Easy high-altitude hike. Go to Fourth of July trailhead. At first branch where there is a sign, turn right. Above tree line there is an unmarked left then unmarked right near the ridge. Bring rain gear. Have fun!
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It’s a tough start but settled out. Beautiful view once you make it up top.
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Backpacked this for a couple days with two buddies. Incredible spot to camp with great options for day hikes from camp around the area. Trail was mostly well maintained, but there were multiple trees that had to be crossed along the way.
Hike up was grueling. Long, hard, rocky paths with multiple sets of switchbacks. Very beautiful rewarding and remote area once you arrive, and that makes it very worth it.
At the fork will be your last chance to filter water for the next roughly 1.5-2 miles of steep trail so make sure to be well hydrated at this point.
The hike up took my group roughly 7 hours, under heavy loads of gear, and about 5 hours to get back down.
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Arrived at 7:30 on Saturday. TH head Parking lot was full so had to park along side road about a 1/4 mile away.
Hike was a steady long gentle incline. Trail has several stream crossings with a couple of small waterfalls. Mirror Lake was crowded so I headed to the south side of Crater Lake. There is a 30 foot ledge that has a cabin remnants. I found a private location on lake with a views of the Crater Lake waterfall to the west and grand view of Lone Eagle Peak to the north.
In hindsight I wish I backpacked this trail during the week to enjoy its beauty. It’s crowded but not too bad because of its length.
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Very scenic hike. Saw a baby Moose by the lake on one hike. The trailhead isn’t marked real well and drove past it. The trail is pretty easy to follow except around some rocks near the end. Take the detour around the mid-point. I’m in average shape so the hike and elevation were a little strenuous.
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Nice, well maintained trail. Saw 3 moose and some deer! Started at 6:30 am and finished around 1 pm. Trail got busier after 11 am.
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The wildflowers were spectacular for this hike, one of the top wildflower hikes in Boulder County. The mountain scenery views are awesome and Lake Dorothy is a magical place.
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