Upper Ice Lake

Durango, Colorado

5.0/5
based on 7 reviews

Details

Distance

6.74 miles

Elevation Gain

2464 ft

Route Type

Out-and-Back

Description

Added by Eric Schuette

Hike to one of the most beautiful lakes in all of Colorado -- and pass several waterfalls en route. For the adventurous, being able to swim in a stunning blue alpine lake makes for a great afternoon. During the summer the wildflower show is amazing!!

From the Ice Lakes trailhead begin hiking through a meadow that quickly enters the forest and begins to climb. The trail will climb ~1,600 feet in the next two miles. As the trail climbs there is a scenic waterfall just over .5 miles, it is worth it to scamper up for a closer look (at ~1.0 miles there you can get a nice vantage point from the top of the same falls). After the waterfall, the trail continues its steady-steep climb as it alternates between wildflower-filled meadows and forest.

After~2.3 miles the trail will begin to flatten as you enter lower ice lake basin. The basin has a wonderful wildflower display, a beautiful lake, and is a popular hiking and camping destination. However, you still have about a mile and just under 1,000 feet of elevation to go to reach the upper lake. As you walk through the basin you will see the final climb to the upper lake in front of you. A creek crossing and some steep switchbacks are now all that is left to upper basin.

As the trail begins to level out you will be entering an alpine wonderland!! The colors and shapes of the mountains, the color of the upper lake, and the wildflowers are all amazing on their own right. However, together they create one of the most beautiful and amazing destinations in all of Colorado. Be careful around the upper lake, as it is a fragile environment that needs to be treated with care.

Read More

Download the Outbound mobile app

Find adventures and camping on the go, share photos, use GPX tracks, and download maps for offline use.

Get the app
Download GPX File

Features

Photography
Fitness
Running
Hiking
Dog Friendly
Easy Parking
Family Friendly
Forest
Lake
Scenic
Wildflowers
Waterfalls

Upper Ice Lake Reviews

Definitely go counter clockwise and hit Island Lake first. The uphill is gradual and once you reach Island lake, it is mostly all downhill from there and the hike doesn’t feel too hard that way. There is a really small patch of a traverse crossing when heading to Ice lake from Island but nothing a good pair of shoes and poles cant handle :) lower route is more gravel and upper one more rocky. I went the rocky route while my husband did the lower one. We did it Mid July of 2024 on a Sunday so it wasn’t too crowded. We reached the TH at 6:40 am and there were a couple spots left but they filled up really fast. The restrooms were nasty, they were full with no TP. It was the same in the morning and nothing changed when we were back from our hike It was a gorgeous hike throughout, felt like we were in a valley of wildflowers the whole time So many water crossings, & waterfalls along the way. We were in awe the whole time. Our fav hike so far in Colorado. It is so worth all the effort. Enjoy :)

My favorite hike in Colorado. The blue color of this lake is UNREAL. It is so clear. If you are feeling brave, you can jump in. Beware the water is absolutely freezing. The hike is hard. Extremely hard. The parking is so small, so get there very early. I went before the fire, so I am not sure what kind of impact that had on shade coverage on the way up.

This is a nice but difficult hike. The altitude was really getting to me so I felt like it took forever to get to the top but it was absolutely worth it once there. Beautiful!!

Quite steep and hard to get a good breath of air at the top.Took it slow and enjoyed the flowers and waterfalls.Ice lake so cold but my dog went swimming and the colorado views were stunning!

This was a somewhat difficult trail but it has beautiful views the entire way. We immediately started laughing when we saw both lakes because they looked fake due to the water color. Unbelievable scenery. Highly recommend!

I have packed and hiked thousands of miles in the Rockies and sierra mountains. With that being said, this hike was probably the most beautiful all around Hike I have ever trekked! From the start it is somewhat challenging incline. The July show of wildflowers, waterfalls, rock formations and ultimately the high mountain aqua blue lake was an amazing climax. Take a suit with you and dive into a take your breath away crystal clear lake. Ice is right! I will definitely repeat this one. Not for the weak at heart. Take your time and enjoy the climb!

Leave No Trace

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

Nearby

Climb Fuller Peak

Backpack to Island Lake

Camp at South Mineral Campground

Explore Clear Lake

Ophir Pass Road

Drive Ophir Pass