AMBLEWAY Wildest hikes

Sand Creek Park

Bluff Lake & Tollgate Creek Trail

5 mi · ▲ 110 ft · 1 hr 43 min

Bluff Lake & Tollgate Creek Trail is a 5-mile out-and-back in Sand Creek Park near Sandown, CO. The route reaches Bluff Lake. It is mostly level, with 110 ft of elevation gain. It scores 0/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: paved and peopled.

Elevation

0 mi5,276 – 5,368 ft8.1 mi

Getting there

Trailhead: Unnamed 39.76051, -104.87984
Nearest town Sandown, CO
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Directions

AMBLEWAYwww.ambleway.com

Bluff Lake & Tollgate Creek Trail

5 mi · ▲ 110 ft · 1 hr 43 min

Elevation 5,275–5,369 ft

Out & Back · Sand Creek Park

Trailhead: 39.76051, -104.87984

Weather Sep 6: sunrise 6:33 AM · sunset 7:25 PM

Transit-accessible: E Montview Blvd & Clinton St stop 793 m from the trailhead · Drinking water at the trailhead · Parking lot at the trailhead

  1. Start at the trailhead, heading NE.
  2. 50 ftTurn right, heading E.
  3. 250 ftTurn right, heading SE.
  4. 50 ftTurn left, heading E.
  5. 50 ftBear right, heading E.
  6. 150 ftBear left, heading E.
  7. 50 ftContinue straight onto Westerly Creek Trail, heading E.
  8. 50 ftTurn right, heading E.
  9. 50 ftSharp left, heading E.
  10. 50 ftBear left, heading E.
  11. 150 ftBear right, heading NE.
  12. 250 ftBear left, heading NE.
  13. 350 ftBear left, heading N.
  14. 0.1 miTurn right, heading N.
  15. 50 ftBear left, heading N.
  16. 200 ftTurn right, heading N.
  17. 0.3 miTurn left, heading E.
  18. 50 ftTurn right, heading E.
  19. 150 ftTurn right onto Sand Cr High Water, heading SE.
  20. 50 ftTurn right, heading SE.
  21. 150 ftPass Bluff Lake.
  22. 350 ftTurn right onto Sand Creek High Water, heading SE.
  23. 250 ftTurn right onto Sand Creek Trail, heading SE.
  24. 0.4 miBear left, heading SE.
  25. 150 ftBear left, heading E.
  26. 50 ftBear right, heading E.
  27. 50 ftTurn left, heading E.
  28. 50 ftTurn right, heading E.
  29. 50 ftTurn right, heading E.
  30. 50 ftTurn left, heading S.
  31. 50 ftBear right, heading S.
  32. 50 ftTurn left, heading S.
  33. 0.2 miContinue straight onto Sand Creek Regional Greenway, heading SE.
  34. 0.2 miTurn right, heading SE.
  35. 450 ftBear left, heading E.
  36. 100 ftSharp left, heading E.
  37. 100 ftTurn right, heading E.
  38. 0.1 miBear right, heading NE.
  39. 450 ftTurn right, heading N.
  40. 50 ftTurn left, heading N.
  41. 50 ftTurn right onto Tollgate Creek Trail, heading N.
  42. 0.7 miReach Bluff Lake, then turn around and head back the way you came.
  43. 0.7 miTurn left, heading E.
  44. 50 ftTurn right, heading E.
  45. 50 ftTurn left, heading E.
  46. 450 ftBear left, heading SE.
  47. 0.1 miTurn left, heading S.
  48. 100 ftSharp right, heading SE.
  49. 150 ftBear right, heading SE.
  50. 450 ftTurn left onto Sand Creek Regional Greenway, heading SE.
  51. 0.2 miTurn left, heading S.
  52. 0.1 miContinue straight onto Sand Creek Trail, heading N.
  53. 50 ftTurn right, heading N.
  54. 50 ftBear left, heading N.
  55. 50 ftTurn right, heading N.
  56. 50 ftTurn left, heading N.
  57. 50 ftTurn left, heading N.
  58. 50 ftTurn right, heading N.
  59. 50 ftBear left, heading N.
  60. 50 ftBear right, heading N.
  61. 150 ftBear right, heading N.
  62. 0.4 miTurn left onto Sand Creek High Water, heading N.
  63. 250 ftTurn left onto Sand Cr High Water, heading W.
  64. 500 ftBear right, heading W.
  65. 50 ftTurn left, heading W.
  66. 150 ftTurn left, heading W.
  67. 50 ftTurn right, heading W.
  68. 0.3 miTurn left, heading W.
  69. 150 ftBear right, heading W.
  70. 100 ftTurn left, heading NW.
  71. 500 ftBear right, heading SW.
  72. 350 ftBear right, heading NW.
  73. 250 ftBear left onto Westerly Creek Trail, heading W.
  74. 200 ftBear left, heading W.
  75. 50 ftSharp right, heading W.
  76. 50 ftBear right, heading W.
  77. 150 ftBear left, heading NW.
  78. 50 ftTurn right, heading NW.
  79. 100 ftTurn left, heading NW.
  80. 200 ftTurn left, heading SW.
  81. 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 map, photos and weather for this hike: www.ambleway.com/hikes/bluff-lake-bluff-lake-out-back-4-sights-10-km

Trail surface

52% paved35% gravel4% dirt9% unspecified

Weather

Sunrise 6:33 AMSunset 7:25 PM

Sunset

The best sunset spot on this hike is 1.2 mi in (~31 min). Leave by 6:34 PM for the 7:25 PM sunset. Back at your car by 8:10 PM, after dark — bring a headlamp.

More sunset hikes nearby

Good to know

  • Transit-accessible: E Montview Blvd & Clinton St stop 793 m from the trailhead
  • Drinking water at the trailhead
  • Parking lot at the trailhead

Hikes near Sandown, Colorado