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- Length:
- 8.8 miles (out and back)
- Difficulty:
- Challenging
- Trailhead:
- Longs Peak (40.272241, -105.556925)
- Why we love it:
- Enjoy a day of trekking above treeline, a picturesque alpine pool, and a taste of the Longs Peak trail without committing to the whole thing.
- When to go:
- July through October for a snow-free trail; bring traction devices and trekking poles in spring and fall
- Pre-hike fuel:
- Swing through Mud Hut Lyons’ cheery orange drive-thru for a bacon, egg, and cheese breakfast burrito and a hazelnut latte.
- Post-hike buzz:
- The drive back to Denver journeys through Boulder, so you might as well post up on the rooftop of Avanti Food and Beverage, dig into a dish from one of the seven vendors on-site (we love the shawarma fries from Boychik), and celebrate your sweaty success with whatever rotating sour from Weldwerks is on tap.
- Restrooms:
- Vault toilets at the trailhead and an outhouse at Chasm Junction, near mile 3.6
- Dogs:
- Not allowed
If you’re an alpine lake enthusiast that’s already ticked off Emerald Lake, Sky Pond, and Lake Haiyaha in Rocky Mountain National Park, it’s time to head south. One of the park’s most dazzling pools is nestled at 11,823 feet in the shadow of Longs Peak, which means you’ll have to fire up your glutes to get there.
Begin from the Longs Peak trailhead off Highway 7 (outside the park boundary). As its name suggests, this trailhead is also where peakbaggers and climbers are looking to tick off the park’s 14,259-foot crown jewel to begin their approach, so the parking lot fills by 4:30 a.m. in summer. (If it’s full, park alongside the access road, but be sure to obey the posted signage.) Not only does arriving early increase your chance of scoring a spot, it reduces the likelihood of getting caught in a thunderstorm above treeline and eliminates the need for a timed-entry reservation during peak hours.
The trail begins with a steady climb through a conifer forest alongside Alpine Brook. The seemingly neverending succession of stairs married with the fact that this hike kicks off at about 9,400 feet will likely have you sucking wind before the first switchback. It’s all part of the fun.
About 0.6 miles in, you’ll reach a crossroads with the Eugenia Mine Trail; stay straight (west) to ascend your first series of switchbacks. This section of the path is sacredly silent, save for the chatter of Alpine Brook and the occasional knock of a woodpecker. Just over 1.5 miles in, you’ll pass the spur for Goblins Forest, a six-site campground with a pit toilet—and an excellent place to overnight below timberline and acclimatize before attempting Longs Peak.
Traverse a log bridge to cross Alpine Brook, heed the lightning warning posted on the other side, and emerge from the forest into the subalpine zone near mile 2.3. Towering lodgepole pines and firs give way to twisted, deformed trees and vegetation known as krummholz, signaling the shift from montane to tundra ecosystems. As you navigate the boulder-strewn path up Mills Moraine, be sure to look up from the rocky terrain to take in eyefuls of Longs Peak and its neighbors: 13,916-foot Mt. Meeker to its left and 13,277-foot Mt. Lady Washington to its right.
At 3.6 miles, you’ll come to the Chasm Junction, where you’ll bid adieu to peakbaggers and peel left to pick up the Chasm Lake Trail. This is your last chance to hit the loo (there’s an epic outhouse at the junction) before embarking on the last three-quarters of a mile to the lake. The grade mellows out for a while as the path traces a wall with aerial views of Peacock Pool, which is fed by Chasm Lake and Columbine Falls, at the bottom of the gorge. (In winter and spring, this is a precarious, avalanche-prone snowfield that should be maneuvered with caution.)
Cross above Columbine Falls, a 200-foot tumbler which is often appropriately framed with its blue namesakes in July and August, to enter Chasm Meadow. A fun class-3 scramble up the cirque, marked by easy-to-spot cairns in the summer, deposits you at your destination near mile 4.4—2,500 feet higher than the trailhead. Chasm Lake is stunning no matter the season or time of day, but with its eastern-facing outlet, it’s especially ethereal during sunrise, when the first light casts the glacial basin in a warm pink glow.
Sit for a spell, dig into your stash of hiking snacks, and see if you can spot any climbers ascending the Diamond (bonus points if you remembered to pack binoculars). When you’ve sufficiently basked in the beauty of this high-elevation gem, return the way you came. You might catch a marmot or two sunbathing on the rocks along your descent.
Getting there: From Denver, navigate to Lyons, either by way of I-25 North and CO 7 west or U.S. 36 west via Boulder. From Lyons, follow CO 7 west 24.5 miles through Allenspark. Turn left onto Longs Peak Road and follow it one mile to the ranger station and parking lot.
