Columbine Lake Trail

Columbine Lake is the Indian Peaks lake on the quiet side of the Divide, reached from the Junco Lake trailhead near Grand Lake rather than from Boulder County, which is why it sees a fraction of the traffic of Lake Isabelle. The lake sits at about 11,060 feet in a cirque below Mount Neva, and the trail continues above it toward Caribou Pass, the turnaround that gives this listing its 9.4-mile distance and 11,700-foot high point.

From the Junco Lake trailhead, the Columbine Lake trail heads south along an old road through lodgepole and meadow for about a mile to the wilderness boundary and the junction with the Caribou Pass trail. Stay on the Columbine Lake trail as it turns east up the drainage, climbing steadily through spruce, crossing the creek, and steepening in the last mile through switchbacks and open slopes with wildflowers in July.

The lake, about 3.5 miles from the trailhead, is small and clear with rainbow and cutthroat trout, set under the cliffs of Mount Neva and the Divide. Most people stop here. The route toward Caribou Pass climbs the slope north of the lake to the ridge at about 11,700 feet for a view over the Divide to the Boulder County side, and the full trip to that turnaround and back is the 9.4-mile day. Return the same way.

From Fraser on US 40, turn east on Grand County Road 83 and, where the road forks, go left onto County Road 84 (Forest Road 129); the Junco Lake trailhead is a short spur off it about 11 miles from the highway, near Meadow Creek Reservoir. The gravel road is rough in its last miles and passenger cars manage it slowly when dry. Parking at Junco Lake is inside the Arapaho National Recreation Area and requires a daily use fee; an America the Beautiful pass covers it. The lot is small; there is a toilet. No wilderness permit for day use. County Road 6 from Granby along Lake Granby leads to the Monarch Lake trailhead, a different and longer approach.

Dogs must be on a leash at all times. The distance and the climb make it a trail for older kids. Carry a filter; the creek runs beside the trail most of the way. Overnight trips need an Indian Peaks permit from June 1 through September 15, campfires are banned at Columbine Lake, and camps must be 100 feet from the water and the trail. Moose are common in the willows along the lower trail. Fraser and Winter Park, about 40 minutes away, have groceries, restaurants, and lodging. The Indian Peaks region page covers the east-side trailheads, which are a long drive around through Boulder.