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Blue Lakes Trail (Monte Cristo Gulch)
Hiking Trail
Easy
1.43 mi
264 ft
An easy stroll around alpine lakes and waterfalls beneath a 14,000-foot peak near Breckenridge.
An easy trail just south of Breckenridge, Blue Lakes is a great place to enjoy Colorado’s mountain scenery and wildlife with very little work. A dirt road leads along Monte Cristo Creek to nearly 12,000 feet elevation, above treeline, where wild mountain goats are common, and where two alpine lakes shimmer in blue beneath white-capped peaks. The lakes are popular for fishing and paddling in the warm months. In winter, the closed road is good for snowshoeing and cross-country skiing.
In summer you can drive Blue Lakes road (No. 850) past Lower Blue Lake to just below the dam at Upper Blue Lake. The road is rough but passable for 2WD when dry. From there, a trail loops around the lake. It is not maintained and tricky to follow in some places because of steep slopes and loose surface, but still negotiable. Note that when the lake is completely full, however, hiking the shoreline might not be feasible everywhere. More paths link the two Blue Lakes, upper and lower. A series of waterfalls tumble in between them, among rocky meadows that bloom with wildflowers in summer. There is a smaller parking area along a 4WD road at the lower lake as well.
Sources:
Written by Jesse Weber
An easy trail just south of Breckenridge, Blue Lakes is a great place to enjoy Colorado’s mountain scenery and wildlife with very little work. A dirt road leads along Monte Cristo Creek to nearly 12,000 feet elevation, above treeline, where wild mountain goats are common, and where two alpine lakes shimmer in blue beneath white-capped peaks. The lakes are popular for fishing and paddling in the warm months. In winter, the closed road is good for snowshoeing and cross-country skiing.
In summer you can drive Blue Lakes road (No. 850) past Lower Blue Lake to just below the dam at Upper Blue Lake. The road is rough but passable for 2WD when dry. From there, a trail loops around the lake. It is not maintained and tricky to follow in some places because of steep slopes and loose surface, but still negotiable. Note that when the lake is completely full, however, hiking the shoreline might not be feasible everywhere. More paths link the two Blue Lakes, upper and lower. A series of waterfalls tumble in between them, among rocky meadows that bloom with wildflowers in summer. There is a smaller parking area along a 4WD road at the lower lake as well.
Sources:
Written by Jesse Weber
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