Length:
10.8 miles (out and back)
Difficulty:
Challenging
Trailhead:
Pitkin (39.64342, -106.30287)
Why we love it:
The trek to this alpine lake is challenging but not merciless—steep sections are often succeeded by longer, flatter sections where you can catch your breath and soak in the seasonal color.
When to go:
June through October; foliage peaks in mid-September. A three-hour parking limit at the trailhead is in effect from November to May, when the trail is often snow-covered.
Pre-hike fuel:
Park in the Vail Village parking garage ($10 a day) by the transportation center. Before you hop the East Vail bus to the Falls at Vail bus stop, swing by Yeti’s Grind for an Italian Stallion (a caramel and white chocolate latte) and Brekkie sandwich (two eggs, bacon, roasted tomatoes, and aioli).
Post-hike buzz:
You’ll have to take the bus back to your car, so you might as well grab a bite in Vail Village. For $6 slices of ’za piled with pepperoni, Canadian bacon, and sausage, head to Vendetta’s. Savor the last of the season by washing it all down with a pint of Sunshine Belgian Blonde at Vail Brewing Co.
Restrooms:
There’s a portable toilet at the trailhead.
Dogs:
Allowed on leash

Most people don’t head to Vail until the chairlifts start spinning and the peaks are covered in powder. Don’t be like most people. In autumn, this ski town transforms into a canvas for fall color—with far fewer crowds. For a quiet sampler, you can’t do better than the romp to Pitkin Lake, which is as rewarding as it is rigorous.

Start at the eponymous trailhead at the end of Fall Line Drive. (Don’t bother trying to snag one of the 15 parking spots unless you plan to arrive before 7:30 a.m.) Enjoy a leisurely climb on the east side of Pitkin Creek, which goes from gushing to a quiet gurgle this time of year, before you cross a wooden bridge. Follow a series of steep—as in, 55 percent grade—switchbacks away from the sounds of I-70 into a lush valley and over a series of moraines. About a mile in, the trail mellows out as it winds through golden aspen groves and shady forests of spruce and fir.

Near mile 2.5—where you’ve likely stopped to suck wind—scan across the valley to see a torrential waterfall cascading down the cliffside. While you’re at it, turn around to spy streaks of yellow, like the divine dragged a highlighter down the hillside.

Trees turning yellow on a hillside in Vail
Photo by Jessica Giles
trail cuts through aspen starting to turn yellow
Photo by Jessica Giles
hillside with pockets of yellow trees
Photo by Jessica Giles

About 1.5 miles later, you’re gifted a mild downhill amble through a meadow with another (more gentle) waterfall on hiker’s left. From here, it’s an uphill grind to the tundra, where marmots and pikas often loiter. Encounter a few false summits in the final section but don’t spiral; when the glassy lake finally does come into view, the nearly 3,000 feet of elevation gain is forgotten. The surrounding peaks—including East and West Partner—cradle Pitkin Lake like a precious gem in the center of a granite crown.

The tarn teems with cutthroat trout, so pack a rod. The return trip is a treat—both because it’s blessedly downhill and the fall color unfolds in front of you, not behind you.

Getting there: From Denver, navigate to Vail via I-70 West. To park at the trailhead, take Exit 180 toward East Vail, a right on Big Horn Road, and another right on Fall Line Drive. Take this until the road ends; you’ll see about 15 parking spots on your right. To park in the Vail Village Parking Garage, take Exit 176. At the traffic circle, take the fourth exit onto Vail Road. At the next traffic circle, take the third exit onto South Frontage Road. Drive half a mile and take a right into the parking garage. From the adjacent transportation center, take the free East Vail bus five stops to Falls at Vail. Walk 0.3 miles up Fall Line Drive to the trailhead.