State: Colorado
Location: Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests
Length, One-Way: 4.6 miles
Trail Type: Out and Back
Minimum Elevation: 10500 feet
Maximum Elevation: 12541 feet
Best Season: June to October
Difficulty: Difficult
Usage: Heavy
Colorado Sunset
Trail Information
The first quarter mile of the Pawnee Pass Trail to Long Lake is a high standard, very heavily used trail. At the east end of Long Lake, the Jean Lunning Trail turns left (south). The Pawnee Pass Trail enters the Indian Peaks Wilderness, continues along Long Lake as a wide, fairly flat trail and a quarter mile beyond the end of the lake, meets the Jean Lunning Trail again. A fine easy hike is a three mile loop around Long Lake on the Pawnee Pass and Jean Lunning Trails.
Beyond the Jean Lunning Trail junction, the Pawnee Pass Trail continues up the valley at a gentle grade through wooded terrain, then makes a short climb to Lake Isabelle, which sits just below treeline. At the east end of Lake Isabelle, the Isabelle Glacier Trail #908 continues along the north shore of Lake Isabelle to the source of the South St. Vrain Creek the Isabelle Glacier.
The Pawnee Pass Trail turns right (north) and climbs on a graded switchback trail. The trail first crosses a couple creeks and circles under a ridge above Lake Isabelle, then gains a wide bench above treeline by a series of short switchbacks. There is another steep switchback pitch which may hold snow late into the summer, to the top of Pawnee Pass (el. 12,541 feet). Continuing westward on the Pawnee Pass Trail (Trail #1 on the west side of the Divide) would take you 9 3/4 miles to Monarch Lake via the Cascade Creek Trail.
When the snow falls, the Pawnee Pass Trail becomes the domain of snowshoers.
Directions
The Long Lake Trailhead is within the Brainard Lake Recreation Area, off of CO 72, 13 miles north of Nederland, just north of the town of Ward. Turn west onto the Brainard Lake Road (a.k.a. County Road 102, FDR 112 closed at halfway point from late October through late June or early July). Travel approximately 5 miles on the paved road to Brainard Lake. The Long Lake Trailhead is a half mile up the left fork of a side road that turns off at the west end of Brainard Lake.
