Trailhead Location: Head north on U.S. Highway 40 from Fraser and turn right (east) onto County Road 83. When the road forks go left onto County Road 84. Follow this road for 10.5 miles, then turn left on the road to the Junco Lake Trailhead.
Here is a description of the hike found on the internet:
"This is a very popular day hike. It follows an old jeep trail until it reaches the junction with the Caribou Pass Trail at 1.7 miles. As the Caribou Pass Trail splits away, the Columbine Lake Trail continues along the creek to its source at Columbine Lake. This tree-lined lake is nestled in a steep basin on the northwest face of Mount Neva. Campfires are prohibited at Columbine Lake to protect the delicate nature of the alpine tundra.
This trail is in the Arapaho National Recreation Area (ANRA) which requires a day-use fee ($5.00) or display of your golden passport on the dashboard of your vehicle. If you are camping overnight in the wilderness, then only a wilderness permit is required. Just leave the parking stub from the wilderness permit on the dashboard of your vehicle in the parking lot.
Columbine Lake is a beautiful emerald green lake situated below Mount Neva. It is a shallow lake containing rainbow and cutthroat trout. Most of the shore is easily accessible for fishing.
The Columbine Lake trail begins on the Caribou Pass trail and travels 1.3 miles to Columbine Lake. The trail travels along a large meadow and soon enters a spruce forest. It makes a moderate climb through the forest, paralleling a stream. Leveling off, the trail continues up through some meadows to a point where a stream comes down off the hill. Here it begins a climb up through a rocky gap toward Columbine Lake. It continues to wind its way up through the forest along the edge of some meadows. The climb becomes more moderate as it progresses up through the gap. Eventually it levels off and makes its way through some wet meadows to the lake. The elevation gain is about 500 feet. There are some level spots in the meadows around the lake but some may be too wet to camp. You can pretty much access the entire shoreline of the lake for fishing. This trail sees moderate day use and low overnight use. The level of difficulty for this trail is moderate.
Columbine Lake Trail (Wildflowers)
Columbine Lake is nature’s vast and overwhelming spectacle where one flowering plant covers acres upon acres. Depending upon the season, you’ll see miles of white marsh marigold (Caltha leptosepala) or columbine (Aquilegia caerulea).
The hike to Columbine Lake is a moderate 2.4 miles one way and 960 feet gain in elevation. Still, half the difficulty is getting there by car. The 11.4 mile dirt road is pocked with potholes alternating with high bumps that many cars won’t traverse. And it feels like it goes on forever. But once there, such vast spaces provide a solitary hike in spectacular scenery.
This sub-alpine scenario consists of meadows at tree line. When the snows melt, they leave a saturated soil. White marsh marigolds grow in water as well as soil, their tenacious roots determined to survive in frigid conditions. Wide, succulent leaves soak up moisture and appear to float like alpine water lilies.
You’ll find exquisite natural gardens of seeping water, mosses, ferns and wildflowers. They have only a month or two to flourish and grow. The rivulets of water, gentle and consistent, provide a tiny climate of perfection to satisfy their needs.
The Columbine Lake Trail opens into wide vistas, where you can see miles and miles of mountains. A vast sky, huge as the ocean, collects clouds. Weather patterns a state away are clearly visible.
If you’re intrepid, hike all the way to the lake, but bear in mind that snow may blanket Columbine. A few hikers on the trail groaned when they bedded down in several feet of snow, not guessing that snow would persist into the height of summer. But at high altitude and a late day drenching of rain elsewhere quickly turns to snow here.
Precautions
Take water, food and sunscreen. Take warm clothing, too. At Columbine Lake, you could be alone for quite a while before another hiker would find you.
Columbine Lake is located near Fraser and Tabernash. From US 40, turn onto County Road 83, then onto Meadow Creek Road. Follow the signs to Junco Lake because you’ll not see a single sign for Columbine Lake. But the Junco Lake parking lot is where you’ll start for Columbine Lake.
The dirt road to the trailhead parking lot is long – 11.4 miles – and the last half is filled with deep ruts.
Recommended books for identifying mountain wildflowers:
"Guide to Colorado Wildflowers" G.K. Guennel, Westcliffe Publishing, 1995
"Rocky Mountain Wildflowers" Jerry Pavia, Fulcrum Publishers, 2004"
Sounds pretty good, doesn't it? Well, it was a beautiful hike. The dirt road in was long, 10-1/2 miles, but was in good shape. We didn't have any problems. We passed Meadow Creek Reservoir on the way in to the Junco Lake Trailhead.
The start of the trail is beautiful, as we walk through pines and open meadows.
There were wildflowers all along the hike............
Most of the trail was in good shape, but we also had to pass through some wet spots, using logs in many places as bridges.
We followed a beautiful stream in many places
Check out the video:
The hike was a good warmup for us. We had a couple of spots where it was steep, but only for short distances. We could feel the altitude, but we didn't have headaches, we just felt winded.
Back at Silver Creek Resort, we enjoyed a beautiful sunset to end our second day in Colorado.
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