Blue Lake–Mitchell Lake, 7 sights is a 6.5-mile out-and-back in Indian Peaks Wilderness near Ward, CO. The route passes Brainard Lake and Mitchell Lake before reaching Blue Lake at the turnaround, 3.2 miles in. It climbs 1,029 ft and is mostly dirt. It scores 75/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: genuinely wild.
Elevation
0 mi10,345 – 11,359 ft7.0 mi
Getting there
Trailhead: Brainard Lake O/l 40.07762, -105.57058
Nearest town Ward, CO
Directions
AMBLEWAYwww.ambleway.com
Blue Lake–Mitchell Lake, 7 sights
6.5 mi · ▲ 1,029 ft · 2 hr 41 min
Elevation 10,346–11,360 ft
Out & Back · Indian Peaks Wilderness
Trailhead: Brainard Lake O/l · 40.07762, -105.57058
Weather Sep 4: sunrise 6:34 AM · sunset 7:31 PM
Dogs allowed on leash · Toilets at the trailhead · Drinking water at the trailhead · Parking lot at the trailhead
- Start on Brainard Lake O/l, heading NW.
- 50 ftBear left, heading W.
- 50 ftPass Brainard Lake.
- 100 ftContinue straight onto Brainard Lake Road, heading NW.
- 450 ftBear right onto Brainard Lake Cutoff Trail, heading NW.
- 300 ftTurn left onto CMC Brainard Snowshoe trail, heading N.
- 0.4 miBear left onto CMC Cabin Cutoff, heading W.
- 250 ftTurn right onto Mitchell Lake Trailhead Connector Trail, heading SW.
- 0.3 miContinue straight onto Mitchell Lake Trail, heading W.
- 0.8 miPass Mitchell Lake.
- 1.5 miBear right, heading W.
- 50 ftReach Blue Lake, then turn around and head back the way you came.
- 50 ftBear left, heading W.
- 2.3 miContinue straight onto Mitchell Lake Trailhead Connector Trail, heading SE.
- 0.3 miTurn left onto CMC Cabin Cutoff, heading E.
- 250 ftBear right onto CMC Brainard Snowshoe trail, heading SE.
- 0.4 miTurn right onto Brainard Lake Cutoff Trail, heading E.
- 300 ftBear left onto Brainard Lake Road, heading E.
- 0.1 miBear right onto Brainard Lake O/l, heading S.
- 50 ftArrive back at the trailhead.
Each distance is the walk from the previous step. Tap a step for a map of its junction.
Trail surface
97% dirt2% paved1% unspecified
Weather
Sunrise 6:34 AMSunset 7:31 PM
Good to know
- Dogs allowed on leash
- Toilets at the trailhead
- Drinking water at the trailhead
- Parking lot at the trailhead
More from Brainard Lake O/l Trailhead
- Brainard Lake–Brainard Lake Cutoff Trail Loop, 4 sights 1.7 mi · ▲ 198 ft
- Long Lake–Brainard Lake, 3 lakes 2.1 mi · ▲ 194 ft
- Long Lake–Brainard Lake Loop, 7 sights 2.2 mi · ▲ 230 ft
- Red Rock Lake–Brainard Lake, 3 lakes 4 mi · ▲ 285 ft
- Niwot Mountain–Red Rock Lake, 5 sights 9.7 mi · ▲ 1,783 ft
- Isabelle Glacier–Lake Isabelle, 7 sights 10.2 mi · ▲ 1,932 ft
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