BOULDER SPORTS RESOURCES 
Colorado Cross-Country & Snowshoe Guide
Photo by K. Turnbaugh
Trails reported to allow leashed dogs are marked with a 
ALLENSPARK
Take Colorado Highway 7 west from Lyons or Colorado Highway 72 north from Nederland to Colorado Highway 7. Continue north about 5 miles.
Ski Road to Old Ski Area (easy). Enter Allenspark via the old highway at the top of the hill and head east through town to County Road 107 (Ski Road). Follow the road south, then west to where it’s no longer plowed. Start skiing here and bear left at all forks. The common turnaround for the 5-mile round trip is the old ski area.
BOULDER
The Boulder Nordic Club sets up community cross-country courses right in town, and local Nordic fans are always hanging around to give out free tips. North Boulder Park is the club’s priority. To check for news, snow conditions and locations of groomed snow. 720-352-7808.
North Boulder Park (easy). This open, level lawn between Eighth and Ninth streets and Alpine and Dellwood avenues is popular after heavy snowfalls. The BNC sets up skate-skiing and diagonal touring tracks with groomed trails. The loop is a 2k round trip.
Other City Parks. Boulder Parks and Recreation Department is working with BNC volunteers to groom one or two other sites, which may include Foothills Community Park in far north Boulder off Locust and Cherry avenues; Tantra Park accessible from Tantra Drive; and East Boulder Community Park at Sioux Drive and 55th Street.
Haystack Mountain Golf Course. BNC will groom the golf course depending on Haystack’s requests for grooming and the availability of volunteers to do the grooming. Haystack and BNC are negotiating the details, which will include a discount to BNC members.
Valmont City Park. Off Valmont Road, between Airport Road and 55th Street. No grooming will take place during the winter of 2010-2011 because of park construction.
BRAINARD LAKE
Take Colorado Highway 72 north barely past Ward to Brainard Lake Road and head 3 miles west to the winter closure gate. Trails are marked with blue diamonds or brown-and-white cross-country trail markers. The Colorado Mountain Club’s Brainard Cabin is open on weekends from 10:30am-2:30pm, with coffee and hot chocolate through March, for $1 per visitor. Colorado Mountain Club: 303-554-7688, on Facebook (Brainard Cabin, CMC Boulder Group); U.S. Forest Service: 303-541-2500.
Brainard Lake Road (easy). Go around the closure gate and stay on the main road after you park for an easy 2-mile snowshoe or ski to the lake. The snow is often hard-packed enough to walk on. Although it’s sometimes quite windy and blown bare or icy in spots, the views are spectacular. Snowshoers can combine the road and the snowshoers-only trail for a loop between Red Rock Lake and Brainard Lake.
CMC North (Waldrop) Trail (easy/moderate). Follow signs to this rolling trail on the north side of Brainard Lake Drive past the winter closure gate. At the 1-mile mark, the left fork shortcuts to Brainard Lake. The trail joins the Snowshoe Trail and then intersects the east end of Brainard Lake Road at 2.9 miles, the jumping-off point for Long and Mitchell lake tours (below). Continue left on the road to CMC South Trail (below), just east of the clearing, for a 5.5-mile round trip.
CMC South Trail (easy/moderate). Begin at Left Hand Reservoir Road (just before the winter closure gate) and follow it to the cutoff for CMC South Trail on the right. After the first short hill, the skiers-only trail follows a level course 2.5 miles to Brainard Lake. Just before the lake, a left turn onto the skiers-only Little Raven Trail (advanced) takes you back 3.3 miles to the parking area.
Left Hand Reservoir Trail (easy/moderate). Begin on the south side of Brainard Lake Road before the winter closure gate. Follow the winding uphill road to Left Hand Reservoir, crossing cutoffs for the CMC Trail and Little Raven Trail on the way. The last quarter-mile is exposed to severe winds off Niwot Ridge. Then return for a 4-mile round trip.
Long Lake/Lake Isabelle Trail (moderate/advanced). Follow CMC South Trail (above) west of Brainard Lake to Long Lake trailhead. At approximately 1.5 miles, the trail splits. The left fork, the Jean Lunning Trail, loops around Long Lake for a 7-mile round trip. The right fork also loops the lake and accesses a cutoff with a steep 1.6-mile climb to Isabelle Lake.
Mitchell Lake/Blue Lake Trail (moderate/advanced). Follow CMC North Trail (above) west of Brainard Lake, turn right and continue 1 mile to Mitchell Lake trailhead. Climb steadily through the trees to Mitchell Lake for a 7-mile round trip from the trailhead. Blue Lake is another 1.3 miles up the trail.
Red Rock Lake Trail (easy). This very short, easy trail is a scenic out-and-back, great for families with very young children.
Snowshoe Trail (moderate/advanced). This trail was developed especially for snowshoers. It’s marked with blue-diamond trailblazes and snowshoer symbols. Start on the Lefthand Park Reservoir Road. In 30 yards watch for the Snowshoe Trail fork. Follow the signs for 2.5 miles to Brainard Lake.
Take Boulder Canyon Drive (Colorado Highway 119) to Nederland and continue south to the Eldora turnoff (County Road 130). Turn left at the sign for Eldora Mountain Resort. Eldora Mountain Resort Nordic Centeroffers groomed trails and snowshoe-only trails that also connect to trails on U.S. Forest Service land. Rentals, lessons and guided snowshoe tours are available. 303-440-8700. The ski area is the jumping-off point for trails that access Yankee Doodle Lake and the CMC’s Arestua Hut atop Guinn Mountain. Colorado Mountain Club: 303-554-7688.
Guinn Mountain Trail (advanced). Follow Jenny Creek Trail (below) to the Guinn Mountain Trail sign. From here the right-hand fork leads 4 steep miles up Guinn Mountain to the Arestua Hut.
Jenny Creek Trail to Yankee Doodle Lake (moderate). The trail begins at Eldora Mountain Resort’s lower parking lot and follows blue-diamond markers left of the Little Hawk lift and along the eastern edge of the bunny slope. At the top, turn left and follow trail signs through the woods. After 2 miles, the trail merges with Jenny Creek Road. A short, steep climb takes you around the south side of Guinn Mountain and 3 miles to Yankee Doodle Lake.
TOWN OF ELDORA
Take Boulder Canyon Drive (Colorado Highway 119) south through Nederland to County Road 130 and go west to where the pavement ends at the town of Eldora. Take County Road 111 (maintained in summer only) to Hessie and Fourth of July. Arrive early and park in a designated spot, or your car will be towed.
Fourth of July (moderate). Take County Road 111 to the fork at the 0.8-mile mark and continue right for 5 moderate uphill miles to the campground in the valley below Mount Neva and South Arapaho Peak.
Jasper Lake/Devil’s Thumb Lake Trail (moderate/advanced). Take County Road 111 to the fork at the 0.8-mile mark and continue left past Hessie town site. Take either the Devil’s Thumb Bypass trail or the Devil’s Thumb trail; they soon merge. Jasper Lake is 4.5 miles. The trail climbs past Jasper Lake another mile to Devil’s Thumb Lake.
King Lake Trail (advanced). Take County Road 111 to the fork at the 0.8-mile marker and continue left past Hessie town site. Follow the King Lake Trail signs along the south fork of Middle Boulder Creek to King Lake, 5.2 miles from Hessie town site.
Lost Lake (moderate/advanced). Take County Road 111 to the fork at the 0.8-mile marker and continue left past Hessie town site. After another easy half-mile of road, cross the creek. The road becomes steeper as it curves up the hill. Not far after the next bridge, turn left (south) and follow the trail 0.5 miles to Lost Lake. Total distance from Hessie trailhead is 2.8 miles one-way.
I-70 CORRIDOR AND BERTHOUD PASS
For information on cross-country skiing and snowshoeing near Mount Evans, check with the Clear Creek Ranger Visitor Center on Colorado Highway 103 (Exit 240 off I-70), call 303-567-3000 or see the US Forest Service website.
Devil’s Canyon (advanced). Take Colorado Highway 103 (Exit 240 off I-70) approximately 10 miles south from Idaho Springs. The trailhead is on the east side of the highway, 0.25 miles past the Ponder Point picnic area. It’s a 6-mile round trip. 
Grizzly Gulch (moderate). Take I-70 west to Bakerville (Exit 221) and park at the turnout on the south side of the highway. Ski up the road to Grays and Torreys peaks, staying right at the 1-mile fork to end up in the cirque below Torreys Peak. It’s a long, 8-mile cruise.
Herman Gulch (advanced/avalanche danger). Take I-70 west to Exit 218. The trailhead for the remote 6.2-mile round trip to Herman Lake, just below the Divide, is on the north side of the highway.
Old Squaw Pass Road (easy/moderate). Take Colorado Highway 103 (Exit 240 off I-70) south from Idaho Springs to Echo Lake (16 miles). The trailhead is approximately 5 miles beyond Echo Lake on the south side of the highway. It’s a 7-mile round trip.
Seven Mile Run (moderate/WARNING: considerable avalanche danger). Take I-70 to U.S. Highway 40 and leave one car at the turnout on the north side of the road at the second switchback north of Berthoud Pass. Drive a second car to the Berthoud Pass parking lot. From here, ski 0.2 miles north down Hell’s Half Acre to U.S. Highway 40; stay right above the road and drop into the Seven Mile Creek drainage. Continue down 1.2 miles to the second car.
Stevens Gulch (moderate/advanced). Take I-70 west to Bakerville (Exit 221) and park at the turnout on the south side of the highway. Ski up the road to Grays and Torreys peaks, bearing left at the 1-mile fork. Continue up the road through the valley to the head of the Grays/Torreys cirque. It’s an 8-mile round trip.
JAMES PEAK WILDERNESS
Take Colorado Highway 119 approximately 5 miles south of Nederland to Rollinsville and turn west on County Road 16 (Rollins Pass Road) for 7 miles. At the T-junction with the road that continues over Rollins Pass, turn left for another mile. Park at the trailhead at the East Portal of the Moffat Tunnel. It is always windy here, but don’t despair—it’s better in the trees. The trail starts on the right (north) side of the tunnel. U.S. Forest Service: 303-541-2500.
Forest Lakes (moderate/advanced). The Forest Lakes Trail junction is 1.2 miles up the South Boulder Creek Trail. Recent trail construction has greatly improved this trail, which follows an old road and the creek. It’s a 6-mile round trip. From the largest of the Forest Lakes, a quarter-mile trail leads to Rollins Pass Road.
South Boulder Creek Trail (moderate/advanced). The first mile of the trail is easy. In a large meadow, the Forest Lakes Trail forks to the right. Continue on the main trail to Rogers Pass Lake and Heart Lake at 4.2 miles, both above treeline. Stretches of the trail are rocky and quite steep, making for a fast descent on skis.
PEACEFUL VALLEY AND BEAVER RESERVOIR ROAD
Peaceful Valley is approximately 5.5 miles north of Ward on Colorado Highway 72. Park at the turnout at the bottom of the hill. Beaver Reservoir Road (County Road 96) turns west off Colorado Highway 72 approximately 2.5 miles north of Ward. Park on the north side of the reservoir.
Coney Flats Trail (moderate). Coney Flats trailhead starts just west of Beaver Reservoir on the north side of the road. Stay right at trail junctions and wind 3 miles through pine trees till the descent to Middle St. Vrain Road, the turnaround.
Middle St. Vrain Valley/Buchanan Pass (moderate/advanced). Take the trail on the north side of Middle St. Vrain Creek just west of Camp Dick/Peaceful Valley campground, which joins the Middle St. Vrain four-wheel-drive road. To the pass is a 14-mile round trip.
Sourdough Trail (advanced). This trail’s northernmost access is 200 yards east of Beaver Reservoir. It leads 5.1 miles south over rolling hills to Brainard Lake Road, then continues another 5.8 miles to Rainbow Lakes Road, east of the CU Mountain Research Station. Park a second car accordingly.
PEAK-TO-PEAK SCENIC BYWAY
To get to Caribou Ranch Open Space, head north on the Peak-to-Peak Scenic Byway, Colorado Highway 72, from Nederland. Turn west a couple of miles out of town on County Road 126 at the sign and follow the dirt road to the trailhead. For the Sourdough Trail and Rainbow Lakes, drive 7 miles north of Nederland on 72, and turn west at the sign for the University of Colorado Mountain Research Station. The parking lot is about a half-mile up the dirt road on your left.
Caribou Ranch Open Space (easy). The lollipop trail system is a total of 4.5 miles round-trip from the parking lot. The trail partially follows a historic railroad bed and passes an old homestead and mining camp. The conditions are usually better for snowshoeing than skiing.
Sourdough Trail (easy/moderate). Take the left fork about a quarter-mile west of the Sourdough Trailhead to ski or snowshoe to Rainbow Lakes. The route is gradual and open, rolling up- and downhill. It is often windblown and icy in patches, but makes a good trip for novices in favorable snow conditions. It is 4.5 miles to the Rainbow Lakes Campground. A trail continues west from the campground for 1 mile to Rainbow Lakes.
Rainbow Lakes Road (easy). This trail runs north-south from the Mountain Research Station road all the way to the Middle Saint Vrain. Access the trail across the road from the parking lot and head uphill through a series of switchbacks. After about 3 miles it flattens out and circles along Niwot Ridge. This is a great trail for snowshoers and skiers alike as an out-and-back. The trailhead at Brainard Lake is 5.8 miles, the Beaver Reservoir trailhead is 10.6 miles, and Peaceful Valley is 12.6 miles.
The Rocky Mountain National Park Beaver Meadows entrance and the Visitors Center on U.S. Highway 36 offer maps detailing 40 miles of marked trails near Bear Lake and Glacier Gorge, plus 88 miles of mostly unmarked trails in Wild Basin (accessed off Colorado Highway 7, a mile north of Allenspark). 970-586-1206.
Black Lake (moderate/advanced). From the Beaver Meadows entrance, take U.S. Highway 36 to the Glacier Gorge Junction parking lot. Head up Alberta Falls/Mills Lake Trail, taking the right fork at the 1.3-mile point. At the next junction, take the left fork to Glacier Gorge (the right fork leads to Loch Vale). At Mills Lake, you have a choice. The snow is usually reliable through the trees on the east shore, but if the lake is frozen under snow, ski right across it. Pass Jewel Lake and climb to the alpine cirque of Black Lake. It’s an 8-mile round trip.
Emerald Lake (easy/moderate). From the Beaver Meadows entrance, take U.S. Highway 36 to Bear Lake Road and the Bear Lake parking lot. From there, follow trail markers past Nymph and Dream lakes to Emerald Lake. It’s a 3.6-mile round trip.
Lake Helene (moderate). From the Beaver Meadows entrance take U.S. Highway 36 to Bear Lake Road and the Bear Lake parking lot. The trail heads northeast for 0.4 miles. At the Bierstadt Lake Trail, go left for 0.9 miles to the intersection with Flat Top Mountain Trail. Take the right fork 2.9 miles to Lake Helene.
Wild Basin (varying difficulty). Take Colorado Highway 7 for 1 mile north of Allenspark. Turn west at the Wild Basin entrance. From the winter parking lot, the road connects with moderate trails to Calypso Cascade (3.6-mile round trip) and Ouzel Falls (6.2-mile round trip), and strenuous jaunts to Bluebird, Thunder or Lion lakes (each an 11.6-mile round trip).
WEST MAGNOLIA ROAD
Head south out of Nederland 1 mile to just past the Sundance Café. Turn right (west) on Magnolia Road. Parking is available just after you turn onto West Magnolia Road, or continue another mile to a large parking area and trailhead on the left. The West Magnolia trail system is a labyrinth of intersecting trails created by mountain bikers that wind their way through the area.
Hobbit Loop (easy/moderate). Park in the lot that is 1 mile down West Magnolia Road. Navigation can be tricky on this 4.5-mile clockwise loop. Take a good look at the kiosk map before you start, or bring a good map. Make sure you take the turn for Hobbit 1, and near the halfway point another kiosk map will show you how to find Hobbit III.
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