Clayton Lake–Rollins Pass, 4 sights is a 16-mile out-and-back in Arapaho National Forest near East Portal, CO. The route passes Rollins Pass before reaching Clayton Lake at the turnaround, 8 miles in. It climbs 4,157 ft, with sections as steep as 53% grade, and is mostly dirt. It scores 87/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: genuinely wild.
Elevation
0 mi10,040 – 12,150 ft · steepest grade: 53%16.3 mi
Getting there
Trailhead: Rollins Pass Trailhead Road 39.93500, -105.68221
Nearest town East Portal, CO
Directions
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Clayton Lake–Rollins Pass, 4 sights
16 mi · ▲ 4,157 ft · 7 hr 25 min
Elevation 10,040–12,151 ft
Out & Back · Arapaho National Forest
Trailhead: Rollins Pass Trailhead Road · 39.93500, -105.68221
Weather Sep 4: sunrise 6:34 AM · sunset 7:31 PM
Dogs allowed on leash · Parking lot at the trailhead
- Start on Rollins Pass Trailhead Road, heading SW.
- 250 ftContinue straight onto Rollins Pass Road, heading SE.
- 50 ftTurn left onto Rollins Pass Trail, heading SE.
- 50 ftPass Rollins Pass.
- 4.7 miBear left, heading S.
- 50 ftContinue straight onto Rogers Pass Trail, heading S.
- 350 ftContinue straight onto Ute Trail, heading SE.
- 150 ftBear left onto Rogers Pass Trail, heading SE.
- 2.6 miSharp left onto Clayton Lake Trail, heading NW.
- 0.6 miReach Clayton Lake, then turn around and head back the way you came.
- 0.6 miSharp right onto South Boulder Creek Trail, heading E.
- 2.6 miBear right onto Ute Trail, heading W.
- 150 ftContinue straight onto Rogers Pass Trail, heading S.
- 400 ftBear right onto Rollins Pass Trail, heading W.
- 4.7 miTurn right onto Rollins Pass Road, heading N.
- 50 ftContinue straight onto Rollins Pass Trailhead Road, heading N.
- 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
69% dirt31% other
Weather
Sunrise 6:34 AMSunset 7:31 PM
Sunset
The best sunset spot on this hike is 0.2 mi in (~5 min). Leave by 7:07 PM for the 7:31 PM sunset. Back at your car by 7:50 PM — 9 min before dark. Car visible from the viewpoint
Good to know
- Dogs allowed on leash
- Parking lot at the trailhead
More from Rollins Pass Trailhead Road Trailhead
- Beacon Peak via Rollins Pass Trail 2.5 mi · ▲ 380 ft
- Beacon Peak–Rollins Pass, 3 summits 2.6 mi · ▲ 383 ft
- Boulder Wagon Road 2.8 mi · ▲ 372 ft
- Rollins Pass Road 2.9 mi · ▲ 307 ft
- Needle Eye Bypass Trail & Rollins Pass Road 3.4 mi · ▲ 419 ft
- Bob Lake–Bob and Betty Lakes Trail, 4 sights 3.6 mi · ▲ 1,025 ft
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Hikes near East Portal, Colorado