Adventuring St. Mary's Glacier

Idaho Springs, Colorado

Description

Trails with beautiful scenery of forest, wildflowers, the Rocky Mountains, St. Mary's Glacier that has snow all year round, a small lake where you can cliff jump or swim

St Mary's Glacier is located about 9 miles north of Idaho Springs, Colorado. The glacier is a popular year-round destination open to hiking, skiing, climbing and sledding. It is only a 1.5 mile hike round trip and about a 400 feet elevation gain so it is fairly easy. Below the glacier is St. Mary's lake where there are more hiking trails, cliff jumping, and swimming. It is the coldest water I have ever jumped in/swam in, but it is a lot of fun. For a beautiful hike, cliff jumping, or even skiing in the summer, St. Mary's Glacier is the place to go.

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Features

Fitness

Rock Climbing

Chillin

Fishing

Photography

Mountain Biking

Running

Skiing

Swimming

Hiking

Dog Friendly

Family Friendly

Forest

Lake

River

Scenic

Wildflowers

Wildlife

Cliff Jumping

Swimming Hole

Adventuring St. Mary's Glacier Reviews

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Leave No Trace

Always practice Leave No Trace ethics on your adventures and follow local regulations. Please explore responsibly!

Nearby

Hike St. Mary's Glacier

Just West of Idaho Springs on I-70 take the St. Mary's Alice Exit. Take a right and stay on the main road and follow the signs for about 8 miles (watch on the right side of the road for a surprise pink pig). There are two parking lots for the trailhead. The larger one is South of the trail and a smaller one North, both of which require a $5 parking permit. We parked at the South lot and there a...

Hiking James Peak (13,294')

James Peak is one of 76 13,000'+ peaks in Colorado's front range. On your way up to the peak you will pass St. Mary's Glacier. It is not an actual glacier yet a permeant snow field that is popular among skiers and snowboarders year round. St. Mary's Glaicer is a very popular destination (though most do not continue past the snowfield) so make sure you arrive early to guarantee a parking spot.Fr...

Explore 'The Hidden Gems' of Loch Lomond

Getting There From Denver, go W on I-70 and take exit 238 for Fall River Rd. Continue on this road before taking a left on Alice Rd. Continue on Alice Rd. until you see the right hand turn for Steuart Rd. This is where you park. Do not attempt this road in a AWD or 2WD you definitely need a good 4WD. Continue up Steuart Rd on foot to reach the lakes. Loch Lomond Each time I have explored Loch L...

Hike to Loch Lomond

When you start the hike to Loch Lomond, you'll have a few options for parking. The further up the road you go the trickier it's going to be to get back out. I parked at the bottom of the road and hiked my way up. The first mile or two is mostly elevation gain and to be quite honest I thought I was going to die a few times. Still getting used to the elevation of CO is something I hope to someday...

Camp and Fish at Loch Lomond

The trail to Loch Lomond is very rocky. I suggest a high clearance 4x4 vehicle (I did see a small SUV and a Subaru..Not sure how they did it!!!). There are a few campsites at the lake and several along the way. I set up camp by the lake but had to move because the wind was so intense. I recommend camping below the tree line. This is dispersed camping and there are no fees to camp here.You can f...

Adventuring St. Mary's Glacier

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Adventuring St. Mary's Glacier Reviews

Leave No Trace

Nearby

Hike St. Mary's Glacier

Hiking James Peak (13,294')

Explore 'The Hidden Gems' of Loch Lomond

Hike to Loch Lomond

Camp and Fish at Loch Lomond

Chinns Lake Trail

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