American Lakes Viewpoint–American Lakes, 5 sights is a 12.8-mile out-and-back in Rocky Mountain National Park near Willey Lumber Camp, CO. The route passes Thunder Pass and American Lakes before reaching American Lakes Viewpoint at the turnaround, 6.4 miles in. It climbs 1,416 ft, with sections as steep as 20% grade. It scores 82/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: genuinely wild.
Elevation
0 mi10,174 – 11,329 ft · steepest grade: 20%13.0 mi
Getting there
Trailhead: Grand Ditch Trail 40.48110, -105.82128
Nearest town Willey Lumber Camp, CO
Directions
AMBLEWAYwww.ambleway.com
American Lakes Viewpoint–American Lakes, 5 sights
12.8 mi · ▲ 1,416 ft · 4 hr 58 min
Elevation 10,175–11,331 ft
Out & Back · Rocky Mountain National Park
Trailhead: Grand Ditch Trail · 40.48110, -105.82128
Weather Sep 4: Overcast, high 70°F / low 41° · precip 3% · wind 7 mph · sunrise 6:34 AM · sunset 7:32 PM
No dogs on part of this route · Toilets at the trailhead
- Start on Grand Ditch Trail, heading S.
- 3.5 miBear right onto Thunder Pass Trail, heading N.
- 1.7 miPass Thunder Pass.
- 0.7 miPass American Lakes.
- 50 ftBear right onto American Lakes Trail, heading NE.
- 0.5 miTurn right, heading NE.
- 150 ftReach American Lakes Viewpoint, then turn around and head back the way you came.
- 0.6 miBear left onto Thunder Pass Trail, heading SW.
- 2.4 miBear left onto Grand Ditch Trail, heading S.
- 3.4 miArrive back at the trailhead.
Each distance is the walk from the previous step. Tap a step for a map of its junction.
Trail surface
46% dirt54% unspecified
Weather
OvercastTemperature 70°F41°
Precip3%Wind7 mphUV8Humidity28%
Rained 0.4″ 5 days ago
Hourly temperature
70°40°
Sunrise 6:34 AM12 AM3 AM9 AM12 PM3 PMSunset 7:32 PM
Sat
69°47°
Sun
72°48°
24%
Mon
62°48°
28%
Tue
68°44°
20%
Wed
71°47°
29%
Thu
69°47°
38%
Good to know
- No dogs on part of this route
- Toilets at the trailhead
More from Grand Ditch Trail Trailhead
- Grand Ditch Trail 2.6 mi · ▲ 0 ft
- Neota Creek Trail 2.9 mi · ▲ 192 ft
- La Poudre Pass & Specimen Ditch Trail 3.6 mi · ▲ 137 ft
- Grand Ditch Trail 6.8 mi · ▲ 27 ft
- Grand Ditch Trail 7.5 mi · ▲ 56 ft
- Grand Ditch Trail 7.5 mi · ▲ 56 ft
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