Medicine Bow-Routt National Forest · Colorado, Wyoming

Lakes Trail

1.8 mi of trail, end to end · about 550 ft of climbing · 10,603 ft–11,091 ft · native material surface · trail No. 296 · trail class 5 · typical grade 12-20% · tread 18-24 inches wide · hiking, bike

10,648 ft 11,091 ft · 1.6 mi high 11,091 ft

Trailhead Lakes Trailhead 10,604 ft Drive there

Lakes Trailhead the Forest Service's write-up

season June to October

The Lakes Traihead is located within the Mirror Lake Picnic Area in the Snowy Range. The Lakes trail connects to the Medicine Bow Peak trail. It is not recommended to hike this trail after 3:00 pm due to rapid weather changes. Storms are known to blow in unexpectedly, be prepared! The Lakes trail winds through meadows, sparse Engleman spruce and Limber pine. Hikers will pass beside Mirror Lake and Lookout Lake.

This trailhead on fs.usda.gov

Seven Lakes Trailhead the Forest Service's write-up

$5/vehicle/day

Fee trailhead at popular Big Creek Lakes Recreation Area. One mile interpretive trail leads to upper Big Creek Lake. Trails beyond lead to Big Creek Falls and Seven Lakes area of Mount Zirkel Wilderness. Please refer to the Wilderness regulations. Trailhead includes limited pull through parking for horse trailers, a small horse corral, and outhouse.

Restrictions Dogs on leash on Red Elephant Interpretive Trail.

This trailhead on fs.usda.gov

Hike this trail · Every trail in Medicine Bow-Routt National Forest

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About this trail's facts

The lines are the US Forest Service's National Forest System trails layer (public domain), read 2026-10-16 and simplified for the map; the length is the line's, end to end, and the class, surface, grade and tread width are the forest's own entries where it publishes them - a forest that publishes the centreline alone has none. The trailheads and the points along the way are the Service's recreation points, and the write-ups its own recarea text, unedited. Heights come from USGS 3DEP through Terrain Tiles on AWS (Mapzen/Tilezen), read along each line and rounded; a short trail on steep ground can be off by a few tens of feet. Closures change: check the forest's own site before you go.