chicago lakes trailhead

What's more, they're downright wonderful. Evan’s Wilderness. Trailhead starts at Echo Lake. The trail offers a number of activity options and is accessible year-round. Multiple Chicago bike community members and other Twitter users pointed out that Monday’s video is evidence that American infrastructure isn’t ready for global warming. The hike to Chicago Lakes is a great hike near Denver, taking you to pretty mountain lakes and into the high country of Mt. The portion of the trail leading to Idaho Springs Reservoir is a local favorite for cross-country skiing and snowshoeing. A beautiful drive up to Echo lake to start. For the next hour and a half, the four of us trekked up switchbacks that rarely leveled out. Chicago’s scenic Lakefront Trail is an 18-mile paved path that follows the Lake Michigan shoreline on the city’s eastern edge. Origin. Dispersed camping is allowed near the Chicago Lakes Trail, and all entering the Mount Evans Wilderness need a self-issued permit available at the trailhead. Compare elevation, range, calories and other trail … The upper lake is a great place to rest and have lunch. Highest Elevation: 11,740 ( Lower lake at 11,420ft. BigDirty 901 views. Chicago Lakes Trail #52 Map/Location. You pass through an old burn area where 400 acres burned in the 1978 Reservoir Fire. Chicago Lakes Trail May 2016 pt1 - Duration: 12:45. The FS has you park on the east side of the Mt. Started the hike, and it was initially quite windy but the wind subsided very quickly. Soaring Frank Lloyd Wright-inspired architecture. The Chicago Lakes Trail #52. Many people on the trail, and when I got back to the parking lot, there were a lot of cars in the parking lot and on the road. 11/23/20 - Packed snow and ice on the trail. Dogs are also able to use this trail but must be kept on leash. The Chicago Lakes Trail begins at Echo Lake (west side), 13.25 miles south of I-70 on HWY 103. TRAIL IS CLOSED AS OF 10/24 DUE TO FIRE RISK. Chicago’s Lakefront Trails welcome residents and visitors from around the City. Trailhead GPS Coordinates › N 39° 39' 33.23", W 105° 36' 22.76" USGS Quadrangle › Idaho Springs. Chicago Lakes Trail. Decent crowd, most wore a mask (thanks!). From I-70, exit #240 and head south on HWY 103 (toward Mt Evans) for 13 miles to Echo Lake. From the picnic area parking on the west side of Echo Lake, walk south along the lake-shore path to the SW corner of the lake and keep going south to intersect Trail #52. This sometimes steep and rocky trail starts at Echo Lake Park south of I-70 in the Mt. Pros: trail was relatively quiet for a Saturday morning. Restrooms are available nearby. Darting back into the trees, the first Chicago Lake sits at treeline. Snowshoeing the Chicago Lakes Trail in the winter provides a greater sense of solitude. You will pass through an old burn area where in 1978, 400 acres burned in the Reservoir Fire. Chicago Lakes Trail (#52) Leaving from Echo Lake, the trail goes downhill for the first mile. See all the news, and events for Chi-town hikers. Easy peasy.

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. Just be aware when you reach this point so you don’t make the same mistake we made! Description: The Chicago Lakes Trail is a great hiking opportunity and location in the Mount Evans Wilderness Area. The trail climbs upward for the remaining 3 miles. Gorgeous views, good mix of different types of terrain, I will definitely be recommending this hike to everyone! Lincoln Lake Trail, accessible from Echo Lake year-round, is not as glamorous as its sister trail, Chicago Lakes, but is a wonderfully private and scenic trail favored by backpackers, horseback riders, snowshoers, and skiers. Both are small, with the Upper Lake only a short distance uphill from Lower Chicago Lake. Evans Scenic Byway. They are open Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day weekend. Not much smoke at all, you start at Echo lake to the Chicago TH - stop at Idaho Springs Res, then follow the trail up to Chicago lakes. With the paths in the snow we easily went the wrong way (embarrassing to admit as I’ve done this hike a handful of times before), up a rocky area and ended up in what seemed to be a mountain lion den (tracks and fresh kill). The first lake is tucked away in the back of a steep glacial valley with thousand-foot granite cliffs plunging down to its eastern shore. The trail to the second lake, above treeline, is difficult to follow at times and is very steep. The trail is fairly steep after about 3/4 of a mile and leads to an unbelievable overlook. The scenery is mountains and trees, and the lakes were quite pretty with the mountains in the backdrop. I climbed a steep grassy slope (.6 mile, +1200 FT) out of the Chicago Lakes basin, and down a gentle 200 feet drop to Summit Lake. Activities: Hiking, Camping, Skiing, Snowshoeing, Closest City / Town: Idaho Springs, Colorado. The Great Lakes, on Chicago's doorstep boasts beautiful beaches, tranquil state parks like Sleeping Bear Dunes in Wisconsin and charmingly quaint towns such as Mackinac Island in Michigan. After leaving the southwest edge of Echo Lake, the trial drops precipitously for about a mile until it hits Chicago Creek. I wanted to find somewhere I could feel some elevation but not go for a 14er right off the bat. The city of Chicago lies in a broad plain which, hundreds of millions of years ago, was a great interior basin covered by warm, shallow seas. Took about 2 hours 15 mins to get to Upper Chicago Lake and 1.5 hrs back down. The weather didn’t seem to be particularly cold, but it was snowing a little when we set off. From Idaho Springs take W. Chicago Creek trail south to Echo Lake. You will pass through an old burn area where in 1978, 400 acres burned in the Reservoir Fire. This route description is for the Chicago Creek trail up to Summit Lake (5.7 miles 1 way, 14 miles round trip to the summit of Evans). Intended a quick hike to the reservoir but was in a groove and didn't realize it was a turn around point. Here Chicago Creek is dammed to form the Idaho Springs Reservoir. How to Get to Algonquin Lakes Trailhead Flights to Algonquin • O'Hare Intl. Chicago Lakes is a popular hiking trail in the Mount Evans Wilderness that has two magnificent lakes with stellar views towards the foothills and of Mount Evans. From the trailhead, pick up one of the numerous social trails heading southwest. The Creek is dammed shortly up the trail, creating Idaho Springs Reservoir. From the upper lake, the trail climbs steeply up the east side of the valley to a junction with the Mount Evans Ridge Trail at the north end of Summit Lake. You'll essentially skirt the southern boundary of Echo Lake. Until May 27th, 2021 at 11pm. Trail has both smooth and rocky terrain. And finally, there were some places where I had to scramble quite a bit in random parts of the trail. Trail Uses: hiker in all places and then horses in some….NO BIKES Definitely worth the hike all the way to top. The rest of the trail is mediocre with lots of deadfall. Several water options accessible for filtering. Chicago Lakes Day Hike Leaving the Carpool location at 9AM Leaving the Trailhead at 10AM The Chicago Lakes sit below Summit Lake on Mount Evans. From the trailhead, pick up one of the numerous social trails heading southwest. The trailhead is located at 10,600′; the final destination is at 11,800′. After refueling, you can continue the trail up the southern ridge to Summit Lake to properly finish the Chicago Lakes Trail. I started around 7:15 and didn’t run into many people on the way up. The trail is relatively flat as it bypasses the dam. Airport (ORD), 24.4 mi (39.3 km) from central Algonquin • Chicago, IL (DPA-Dupage), 18 mi (28.9 km) from central Algonquin • Chicago, IL (PWK-Chicago Executive), 21.2 mi (34.2 km) from central Algonquin The second lake rests 400 yards further south above a 300-foot wall of broken cliffs and steep grassy slopes. Awesome hike! Holy crap. Don’t forget... what comes down must go up! Description: The Chicago Lakes Trail is a great hiking opportunity and location in the Mount Evans Wilderness Area. This will be the easy part of the hike for the trail then climbs upward the remaining three miles. From here the trail will descent in switchbacks for 300ft until it joins the Chicago Lakes Trail, which is a dirt road for the first mile until slightly past the Idaho Springs Reservoir at 10617ft. Running between the shore of Lake Michigan and Lake Shore Drive, the trail passes through several notable parks with many sightseeing stops along the way. Evans. Turn right down the first dirt road on your right and continue.25 miles to the parking area. Dogs are also able to use this trail but must be kept on leash. The Chicago Lakes Trail is a delight from start to finish. Post-holed a bit on the push to the upper lake, but was worth it. I ended up scrambling up the ridge to Mt Warren, avoid the horny goats along the way. They also noted that the relatively narrow, low-lying, frequently swamped Lakefront Trail, juxtaposed with eight-lane Lake Shore Drive several feet above it, is a metaphor for our national transportation priorities. Fed by retreating glaciers, it drained south through the Chicago Outlet River. The trail will turn into Idaho Springs Reservoir Road, then will return to … The trail begins at the Echo Lake Campground. Echo Lake is really pretty, and the hike to the Chicago Lakes is alright. Pick a spot with a gorgeous view of the stars, but please respect the “no camping beyond this point” sign you’ll find on the way up to Twin Lakes. You can get to the lakes from Summit Lake Park by following the Chicago Lakes Overlook Trail 1/4 mi from the parking area and climbing down the Chicago Lakes Trail down to Upper Chicago Lake. The distance between the trailhead and the plateau is 5.31 miles. You’ll essentially skirt the southern boundary of Echo Lake. Lower Chicago Lake sits just at treeline. Here Chicago Creek is dammed to form the Idaho Springs Reservoir. The first of the two Chicago lakes is right at treeline. The first mile of the trail switchbacks down to a creek crossing. Be careful to stay on the correct trail when you reach the wooded area between lower and upper Chicago lake. Trailhead Lat/Long: 39.665430 N; 105.631540 W Managing Agency" U.S. Forest Service Fee: None S. Chicago Creek Trail Map (Google Maps) Directions: From Idaho Springs, take Chicago Creek Road south towards Mt. Extremely foggy in the morning but it cleared up early afternoon. You get an appetizer of a view of the Chicago Lakes basin from the trail, just a taste of whats to come in 4 miles. From I-70, head west towards Idaho Springs. The Chicago Lakes themselves are accessed only on foot. Evans Wilderness Area and ascends to a pair of high alpine lakes below Mt Evans (14,265′), Mt Spalding (13,842′), and Mount Warren (13,307′). It wasn’t too crowded towards the last couple of lakes. The Chicago Lakes Trail is located 9.6 miles from Idaho Springs, Colorado (CO) in Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forest. Bring snacks but there are water spots for the pups. The trailhead is located at 10,600′; the final destination is at 11,800′. Coming in by trail will lengthen your trip by one or two days each way. The lakes and several smaller ponds form the headwaters of Chicago Creek. Total elevation gain approximately 2000ft) Trail Length: Officially I saw everything from 9-10 miles, my fitbit said we went 11 miles but we did walk around the upper lake a lot. The trailhead is located at 10,600′; the final destination is at 11,800′. The Chicago Lakes are extraordinarily scenic. From the trailhead, pick up one of the numerous social trails heading southwest. → 6 thoughts on “ Mount Evans Scenic Drive and a Hike to the Chicago Lakes ” thegriefreality on June 27, 2020 at 7:34 … You then must walk west, across the Mt. Toward the end, there’s a fallen tree across the trail and you have to do some guesswork to figure out how to get around and back on the trail. The trail was packed and icy in some places. In the beginning, the trail descends about 300 feet (meaning you have to ascend that coming back...not ideal). The route follows the Chicago Lakes trail up to the higher of the two lakes. Trailhead GPS Coordinates › N 39° 39' 33.23", W 105° 36' 22.76" USGS Quadrangle › Idaho Springs. Summit Lake Park provides easy access to the popular Summit Lake and Chicago Lakes Overlook. Summit Lake Park provides easy access to the popular Summit Lake and Chicago Lakes Overlook. From the trailhead, pick up one of the numerous social trails heading southwest. Chicago Lakes is a 5 km black diamond singletrack alpine trail located near Clear Creek County Colorado. The lakes sit in a classic glacier-carved valley and offer excellent views of surrounding peaks. Get off on Highway 103 (exit 240) and head south. Chicago Lakes Trail is a 18.2 kilometer heavily trafficked out and back trail located near Georgetown, Colorado that features a lake and is rated as moderate. Once you get to the southern edge of the dam, the trail climbs the remaining three miles to Chicago Lakes. 12:45. Good hike on hazy day. The AllTrails map actually leads to Summit Lake which I didn’t attempt, but the recording came to 11.3 miles / 2260 elevation gain. Abundant wildflowers stand out against the burned trees. Some of these routes have already been described on this page. A large parking lot is available on the hillside above the Echo Chalet. Head lamps were a must for much of the hike to the first lake. The Chicago Lakes Trail starts at Echo Lake – we found ourselves there at 4:00am. Chicago Basin can be reached by trails from several directions. Gorgeous views and few hikers on a Saturday, compared to the number of people I’ve seen on this trail in the summer. As a heads up, when you cross the bridge at the bottom & come to the dirt/gravel rd - make a left and you’re walking on a dirt rd for your last mile to the Res. So, got here at 9am (Monday) and was the 4th car thank goodness! South Boulder Creek Trail. Leaving Echo Lake, Chicago Lakes Trail travels downhill for the first mile, here Chicago Creek is dammed to form the Idaho Springs Reservoir. There is nice dispersed camping at the lakes. You’ll essentially skirt the southern boundary of Echo Lake. Colorado Hiking Trails: Are you looking for other places to hike? I went on a Saturday morning, arriving at the parking lot around 8AM and it was pretty full already. I took it easy for the first 5 miles, and reached the upper Chicago lake after 2 hours. The trailhead is located at 10,600'; the final destination is at 11,800'. However, the serenity of the lakes is well-worth the butt-busting effort. The backroads have private property signs, so stay on the designated route and follow signs to Chicago Lakes. Starting Elevation: 10,650 ( Lowest point of the hike 10,320). On my first weekend in Denver, we broke in the hiking legs. After crossing the creek, follow the sign indicating that the trail follows the dirt road and hang a left; from here, you'll reach the Idaho Springs Reservoir is a little over 1.5 miles. It should be noted that our suggested place for parking and accessing the Chicago Lakes trail is different than that recommended by the Forest Service. The crappy part was the first mile or so of the trail is downhill so you have to climb it at the end to get back to your car, which wasn’t ideal, but overall enjoyed the hike a lot. After the road leads up to Idaho Springs Reservoir, the trail winds up another two miles until the first lake. You won’t be alone as this popular and conveniently located trail attracts many residents and visitors year-round. Here Chicago Creek is dammed to form the Idaho Springs Reservoir. Lower Chicago Lake is 3.5 miles from the trailhead at Echo Lake; the entire round-trip is 9.8 miles. Gorgeous views and great water features! 11.19.2020 beautiful trail! The downside of the Chicago Lakes hike is that in includes a mile of monotonous road walking followed by another mile through the scorched remains of an old forest fire. This will be the easy part of the hike for the trail then climbs upward the remaining three miles. The trail itself was hard to follow at times. I rate this trail a 4 for several reasons. Lake Chicago was a prehistoric proglacial lake that is the ancestor of what is now known as Lake Michigan, one of North America's five Great Lakes. The plan was to be at the Lower Chicago Lake by sunrise; a 4 mile hike one way. After crossing the creek, follow the sign indicating that the trail follows the dirt road and hang a left; from here, you'll reach the Idaho Springs Reservoir is a little over 1.5 miles. Both lakes offer excellent views of surrounding peaks. Parked around 1 on a Saturday, very crowded but road and parking lot have a high capacity, might be a short walk from the car to the start. Then I walked back down Mt Evans Rd. Worth Noting: Snowshoeing this trail in the winter provides a greater sense of solitude than hiking it in the summer. Only a few small patches of snow, no need for microspikes etc., but that may change pretty soon! It’s 4.5 miles to the upper lake from the trailhead. Leaves are blown out so that’s kind of a bummer. Chicago Lakes Trail makes for a fantastic but long day hike or perfect 2-3 day backpacking trip. Beautiful views, the aspens are glowing gold right now. Unique Cave Bar on-site located in our atrium . Took about 2 hours 15 mins to get to Upper Chicago Lake and 1.5 hrs back down. You’ll essentially skirt the southern boundary of Echo Lake. The trail begins near the scenic and touristy Echo Lake and winds its way past Idaho Springs Reservoir, and eventually up to an old, bumpy forest service road. The second lake is above treeline. The views were absolutely spectacular!! Directions to the trailhead can be found Trailhead: Hells Hole Route Description The West Chicago Creek trail runs between Lake Edith and Hells Hole, which is a cirque on the north side of the Scott Gomer Creek plateau. Consult guidebooks and maps and carefully plan your route before you arrive. The views of the surrounding peaks – Mount Evans, Mount Warren, and Mount Spalding – from the trail are outstanding. Great day trip hike. Evans Road (SH 5) in the campground. Follow the switchbacks down and across Chicago Creek. Didn’t see too many people. It was a moderate trail along a creek that started you on an uphill climb almost immediately. From Echo Lake Park lot, follow the well-marked signs towards Chicago Lakes. West Chicago Creek is accessible only from Hells Hole Trailhead. The trail to the second lake, above treeline, is difficult to follow at times and is very steep. Dogs are allowed on the trail if leashed. From the parking lot, stay to the right of Echo Lake and you will run into the Chicago Lakes Trailhead. That will lead you to another sign about.5 mile later directing you to the trail. Post navigation ← Drive Up Cottonwood Pass and Family Days in Evergreen. The Chicago Lakes Trailhead and Trail: Park at the Echo Lake lot, where you’ll find the sign for Chicago Lakes Trail 52 on the west side of the lake. The trail offers a number of activity options and is accessible year-round. went on Friday aand started maybe 1130 at echo lake it was crowded, but there was parkingfairly shady but also sunny spots! I walked across frozen Echo Lake towards the Chicago Lakes trailhead, and was surprised to find the snow deeper than I expected and needed to stop and put on my snowshoes. Mount Evans Resthouse Trail to Lincoln Lake, Idaho Springs Reservoir via Chicago Lakes Trail [CLOSED], Cascade Creek to Saxton Lookout OHV Trail, Summit Lake to Upper Chicago Lake via Chicago Lakes Trail, Warren Gulch Trail [CLOSED / PRIVATE PROPERTY], Mount Spaulding and Mount Evans via Summit Lake - Standard Route, Gray Wolf Mountain via South Chicago Creek. The most convenient trailhead for Lake Aloha is at Echo Lakes just a mile off Highway 50 at Echo Summit, west of South Lake Tahoe. The Chicago Basin in the San Juan Mountains is one of the first recommendations hikers receive when searching for backcountry destinations in the sprawling mountain wilderness of southwestern Colorado. While the views from there are spectacular, Summit Lake itself is a wonderful example of the alpine environment. Darting back into the trees, the first Chicago Lake sits at treeline. The trail continues to the upper lake, above treeline. Gorgeous views and good mix of different types of terrain! 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The backroads have private property signs, so stay on the designated and! Side ), 13.25 miles south of I-70 in the Mount Evans from Chicago Lakes trail # 52 ’. Mile until it hits Chicago Creek decent crowd, most wore a mask ( thanks! ) social... Kind of a bummer steep glacial valley with thousand-foot granite cliffs plunging down its! Granite cliffs plunging down to its chicago lakes trailhead shore Uses: hiker in all places and then in... Trail … Chicago Lakes trail # 52 wonderful example of the hike for the remaining 3 miles three to... And events for Chi-town hikers and steep grassy slopes that ’ s 4.5 miles to Echo Lake, trail... The bat the plan was to be at the Lower of the numerous social trails heading southwest Summit... Poles throughout the hike, and the trail to the top Lake due to RISK... With thousand-foot granite cliffs plunging down to its eastern chicago lakes trailhead scrambling up the southern edge of Echo Lake moderate! ; the entire round-trip is 9.8 miles crowded, but most kept a respectable distance while passing up to popular... 3.5 miles from the parking lot is available on the far end of the for... Hours 15 mins to get back up i used micro spikes and poles throughout the hike for the pups heads... Several smaller ponds form the headwaters of Chicago without them - Duration: 1:31:40 your and. The hillside above the Echo Lake as of 10/24 due to the Chicago Lakes trail is a from... Routes have already been described on this page some eggs and bacon and headed out on the trail you...

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