Best Colorado Hikes, Making your way to Lost Lake near Buena Vista

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Chaffee county Colorado, one of the most unique areas of the state with mountains, alpine desert, river activities, and of course plenty of hiking trails. Small towns Salida and Buena Vista in the county both offer tons of outdoor recreation. A favorite hike for many just outside of Buena Vista, is the Lost Lake trail. Recently rerouted and turned into an actual trail with a parking lot (I guess before it wasn’t an official trail), Lost Lake offers scenic mountain vistas, alpine forest scenery, and of course at the top a beautiful high alpine lake. If you’re able to get up early enough to hike this trail at sunrise, it’s even more magical. In this post I’ll be going over how to get to the trail, best times to hike it, trail info, and what makes this trail unique. Alright letsss dooo thisss.

How to get there and where to Park

You’ll want to head west on Cottonwood Pass, just outside of Buena Vista which will be through a series of switchbacks until you see the trailhead on the left. It’s about a 20 minute drive from Downtown. Parking will be a dirt lot right at the trailhead and can fill up during the summer and on weekends when the weather is warmer.

Is this a difficult trail

I would rate this trail as a beginner to intermediate as there isn’t too much elevation gain, yet you will have to hike over a rocky part of the trail as you reach the top of the lake. Below I listed the trail stats.

Elevation Gain: 423 feet

Distance: 3.3 miles out and back

Time: Depending on speed I would say 1.5-2 hours

Dogs allowed?: Yes, but on leash.

What is the trail like and what should we expect

The trail starts off on what appears to be an old road that will be about a mile long before you see a sign on the right that says Lost lake 3/4 of a mile. From there the trail goes through the woods on a series of switchbacks. Enjoy the pine trees, mountain views, and sunlight (depending on the day).

Once you get through the woods, the trail opens up to some amazing 360 degree views of the surrounding peaks. This is where the trail gets somewhat rocky so having good hiking footwear will make a big difference! You’ll get to a point where you’ll be able to see Pikes Peak off in the distance.

As you trek up to the lake the trail might get somewhat confusing as you a pass the rock field on the left, just remember to stay to the right and the trail will lead you right to the lake. Please follow signage around the lake and stay on the trail.

Once you make it to the lake hangout and enjoy the beautiful backdrop surrounding this area. The most scenic view in my opinion is actually towards the back of the lake.

Are there Wildflowers on this Hike

In the summer there are! From Mid June until Late July is the best time to catch wildflowers here. Although there aren’t many you will still see some along the way as you hike up to the lakes.

When is the best time to hike Lost Lake

In the summer and fall, from about late June-through the end of September. I like fall the most with this hike because of all the golden colors around the lake. You won’t be able to do this hike in the winter because Cottonwood Pass will close!

Can you Fish and/or Camp at the top

Fishing is permitted as long as you have a Colorado fishing license. However there is no dispersed camping allowed at the top of the lake. Also, please follow the signage that is posted around the lake to make sure people stay on the trail. The reason Lost Lake was recently rerouted was because of heavy erosion and damage to the surrounding natural habitat.

What makes this hike so special

The lake is different then any other high alpine lake I’ve seen in Colorado with a rock type island in the middle and a turquoise blue type color. The color comes from different mineral deposits in the area. At sunrise there more than likely won’t be anyone up at the lake, which is what makes it even more surreal. The majority of people will do sunrise hikes for local 14ers such as Mt. Princeton or Mt. Yale.

What should we pack

It depends on the time of year and time of day that you go, but for a sunrise hike I listed items that I wore below

• Burton AK Baker down Jacket- It was pretty cold when I hike it so used the Expedition Baker Down, however there are other options for a down jacket, such as the midweight Baker down, great for the majority of sunrise or sunset hikes.

• Hiking boots- Your Local REI or outdoor store should be able to get you fitted. I recently bought a pair of La Sportiva’s and really like them

• Rain Jacket- Just in case, you never know when weather will roll through in the mountains

• Hiking Pants- Anything lightweight that has stretch will work great. I personally like Fjallraven outdoor pants.

• Water Bottle- Stay Hydrated!

• Sunscreen- Gotta apply sunscreen at least 15 minutes before you go hiking! I personally like Sun Bum because it is none-greasy.

Looking for other outdoor adventure in Buena Vista? Check out, how to spend 4 days in BV Colorado. If you have any questions or info to add drop a comment below and I’ll see you on the next post!

Beginner Hikes in Colorado, Trekking the Monarch Pass Loop near Salida

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Looking to explore one of many Colorado Mountain Passes? With Colorado having numerous amazing mountain passes to drive along in the summer and fall, Monarch Pass is one you should add to the list. The top of Monarch Pass is actually right where the ski resort is, Monarch Mountain. A smaller mountain with a local vibe. In the summer there is a scenic gondola and also a few hiking/biking trails. If you’re staying in Salida, this is an awesome place to check out in my opinion as you’ll get the alpine mountain experience that you won’t get in Salida or BV.

Even better is if you are looking for an easier hike that isn’t too intense, because the Monarch Pass Loop is about as easy as it gets, with some incredible scenic views . With that being said, in this post I’ll be going over directions to the trail, where to park, and detailed trail info! Alright lets do this.

How to get to the trailhead and where to park

From Salida you will drive past Poncha Springs and take a right onto US-50W all the way to the top of the pass. As you are driving you will pass the ski resort on the right, keep driving until you see a large parking lot on the left! You are in the right parking lot if you see the Scenic Ride building and the Continental Divide Sign. The drive itself is about 22 miles and takes close to 30 minutes from downtown Salida.

Once parked, you will want to walk towards the end of the parking lot, away from the Monarch resort buildings, and across the street towards the large yellow 6% grade truck sign. There won’t be a trail sign, but you will see the trail.

Trail Stats

Distance - 3.2 miles

Elevation Gain - 488 feet

Trail Type - Loop

Dogs Allowed - Yes, but should be on leash

What are the Trail details and What to Expect

Although the trail is easy to navigate I found that downloading Alltrails on your smartphone ahead of time is a great way not to get lost. With that being said, Once you cross the street and find the yellow sign, you can go in either direction because the trail is a loop, but I liked going to the right. This part of the trail has some elevation gain! So be prepared for that. But once it levels off, the mountain views are pretty awesome.

This is also the part in the trail where it gets easier and starts to level off. As you loose sight of the mountain views, you enter the part of the hike surrounded by pine trees.

Eventually you’ll come across a dirt road, take a left and this road will take you to the top of the Old Monarch Pass continental Divide (11,375 Feet). You can see for miles from the top of this road and it’s also a great place to grab lunch and hang out for a bit, maybe grab a photo. The national forest that you see is going to be part of the Gunnison national forest!

Just remember to do your best to stay on trail. I saw some people venture up to a rock pile, and that is not going to be a part of this loop. Hike across the ridge line and just take in the scenery on this part of the loop.

The last part of this trail is going to be downhill through Alpine forests, not really any views until the very end. If you hiked this trail in the afternoon the view at the very end of the hike where you see the road, and mountains in the background, is breathtaking in my opinion.

Is there noise from the road

I read a few reviews on AllTrails that said the noise from the road was a negative about the hike. I would have to disagree. Only part of the hike is close to the highway, and you hardly even notice it the highway noise. It’s not that busy of a road either.

What to Pack

Depends on the time of year, but a few things that you should have with you on this trail are good hiking footwear/hiking socks (No Cotton!), a rain jacket, some kind of layer (even in the summer), and water/snacks. Hiking footwear can be found either at a local REI store, local outdoor gear shop, or online. Just keep in mind that you are in the mountains and weather shows up out of no where sometimes!

Lastly, don’t forget to apply sunscreen at least 15 minutes before your hike. Because you are at a higher altitude the sun is more intense.

If you liked this hike, other hikes I really liked near Salida were, Waterdog Lakes & Tenderfoot Hill (Right in town). Thanks for checking out the blog and I’ll see you on the next post!