State: Colorado
Location: Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests
Length, One-Way: 2.5 miles
Trail Type: Out and Back
Minimum Elevation: 10500 feet
Maximum Elevation: 11300 feet
Best Season: June to October
Difficulty: Moderate
Usage: Heavy
Mountain Wildflowers
Trail Information
The wooded Mitchell Lake Trail enters the Indian Peaks Wilderness near the bridge across Mitchell Creek, then continues a half mile to Mitchell Lake on a good trail. It follows beside the lake, crossing a new bridge over the inlet. Another mile and a half of trail takes you up a steep slope, then along the creek in an open valley to Blue Lake, which lies at treeline below Mt. Toll (el. 12,979 feet), a cone-shaped pinnacle on the Continental Divide.
After snow begins to fall, it is common to see snowshoers and backcountry skiers along the Mitchell Lake Trail. When snowy, it is very easy to lose the trail close attention is necessary.
Directions
The Mitchell Lake Trailhead (a.k.a. Mitchell Creek Trailhead) is within the Brainard Lake Recreation Area. Turn west onto the Brainard Lake Road (a.k.a. County Road 102, FDR 112) off of Highway 72, 13 miles north of Nederland, just north of the town of Ward. Travel approximately 5 miles on the paved road to Brainard Lake. Proceed west past the lake and turn right onto the signed side road to the Mitchell Lake Trailhead, a half mile up and take the next right where the road to the Long Lake Trailhead forks left. Two trails start at this trailhead. The Mitchell Lake Trail is the one to the west. The entrance to Brainard Lake is closed two miles off of Highway 72 from late October through late June or early July due to snow conditions.
