Buffalo Lake & Coal Creek Trail via Anthem Trail
5 mi · ▲ 109 ft · 1 hr 43 min
Buffalo Lake & Coal Creek Trail via Anthem Trail is a 5-mile out-and-back near Pony Estates, CO. The route reaches Buffalo Lake at the turnaround, 2.5 miles in. It is mostly level, with 109 ft of elevation gain, and mostly gravel. It scores 0/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: paved and peopled.
Elevation
Getting there
Directions
Buffalo Lake & Coal Creek Trail via Anthem Trail
5 mi · ▲ 109 ft · 1 hr 43 min
Elevation 5,126–5,190 ft
Out & Back
Trailhead: Rock Creek Trail · 39.97732, -105.07137
Weather Sep 4: Overcast, high 93°F / low 58° · precip 9% · wind 7 mph · sunrise 6:32 AM · sunset 7:29 PM
Parking lot at the trailhead
- Start on Rock Creek Trail, heading N.
- 0.4 miBear left, heading NE.
- 0.2 miContinue straight onto Coal Creek Trail, heading N.
- 0.6 miContinue straight onto Coal Creek Trailhead access, heading NE.
- 100 ftTurn right, heading NE.
- 50 ftBear left onto Coal Creek Trail, heading NE.
- 0.4 miTurn right onto Coal Creek - AnthemTrail Connector, heading N.
- 0.1 miSharp left onto Anthem Trail, heading E.
- 0.3 miTurn right, heading NW.
- 300 ftSharp left, heading NE.
- 250 ftBear right, heading N.
- 400 ftTurn left, heading E.
- 150 ftSharp right onto Bison Trail, heading E.
- 0.1 miTurn right, heading NE.
- 350 ftTurn left, heading NW.
- 450 ftTurn right, heading E.
- 50 ftReach Buffalo Lake, then turn around and head back the way you came.
- 50 ftTurn left, heading E.
- 450 ftTurn right, heading E.
- 350 ftTurn right, heading E.
- 0.1 miSharp left, heading E.
- 100 ftTurn right, heading E.
- 450 ftBear left, heading NW.
- 250 ftSharp right, heading W.
- 300 ftTurn left onto Anthem Trail, heading W.
- 0.3 miSharp right, heading S.
- 50 ftContinue straight onto Coal Creek - AnthemTrail Connector, heading S.
- 0.1 miTurn left onto Coal Creek Trail, heading S.
- 0.4 miBear right, heading SW.
- 50 ftTurn left onto Coal Creek Trailhead access, heading SW.
- 100 ftContinue straight onto Coal Creek Trail, heading S.
- 0.6 miContinue straight onto Rock Creek Trail, heading S.
- 0.2 miBear right, heading SW.
- 0.2 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
Weather
Sunset
The best sunset spot on this hike is 2.1 mi in (~52 min). Leave by 6:16 PM for the 7:29 PM sunset. Back at your car by 8:36 PM, after dark — bring a headlamp.
Good to know
- Parking lot at the trailhead
More from Rock Creek Trail Trailhead
- Rock Creek Trail Loop 2.4 mi · ▲ 0 ft
- Rock Creek Trail Loop 2.4 mi · ▲ 27 ft
- Rock Creek Trail Loop 2.4 mi · ▲ 27 ft
- Rock Creek Trail Loop 2.6 mi · ▲ 0 ft
- Rock Creek Trail Loop 2.6 mi · ▲ 27 ft
- Rock Creek Trail 2.7 mi · ▲ 27 ft
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