Nederland, Colorado

Hike to Columbine Lake

7 Miles Total - 1200 ft gain - Out-and-Back Trail

Originally added by Soneva Scott

This is a gorgeous hike, and is not a long drive from Winter Park/ Granby/ Grand Lake. The trail follows a river to get to the lake, and once arriving at the lake, there is a crystal-clear lake surrounded with scenic, jagged mountains. Absolutely beautiful.

The hike is about seven miles, give or take, however it feels longer. The elevation gain is little over 1000 feet. The drive here is about 45 minutes from both Granby and Winter Park, and is definitely worth it.

You follow a trail dusted with wildflowers for the majority of the hike, and occasionally will burst through the forest into a meadow. The final destination of the lake is stunning, with jagged peaks surrounding a clear alpine lake. Amazing photo opportunities. I hiked here in early September... we started in the morning, which was very cold until the sun started to warm everything up! We only saw one group of people throughout the entire hike, which was very nice for a change from some of the more crowded hikes in that area. Would highly suggest for anyone who wants to do an intermediate, beautiful, dog-friendly, family-friendly, camping-friendly, hike!