Crater Lake–Monarch Lake, 4 lakes is a 14.3-mile out-and-back in Arapaho National Forest near Tabernash, CO. The route passes Monarch Lake and Mirror Lake before reaching Crater Lake at the turnaround, 7.2 miles in. It climbs 2,054 ft, with sections as steep as 19% grade, and is mostly dirt. It scores 96/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: genuinely wild.
Elevation
0 mi8,347 – 10,355 ft · steepest grade: 19%14.4 mi
Getting there
Trailhead: Arapaho Pass Trail 40.11084, -105.74633
Nearest town Tabernash, CO · Official trailhead info (fs.usda.gov)
Directions
AMBLEWAYwww.ambleway.com
Crater Lake–Monarch Lake, 4 lakes
14.3 mi · ▲ 2,054 ft · 5 hr 48 min
Elevation 8,346–10,356 ft
Out & Back · Arapaho National Forest
Trailhead: Arapaho Pass Trail · 40.11084, -105.74633
Weather Sep 4: Drizzle, high 79°F / low 47° · precip 13% · wind 13 mph · sunrise 6:34 AM · sunset 7:32 PM
Toilets at the trailhead · Parking lot at the trailhead
- Start on Cascade Creek Trail, heading SE.
- 50 ftPass Monarch Lake.
- 6.9 miPass Mirror Lake.
- 150 ftBear left, heading S.
- 0.2 miReach Crater Lake, then turn around and head back the way you came.
- 7.1 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
96% dirt4% unspecified
Weather
DrizzleTemperature 79°F47°
Precip13%Wind13 mphUV8Humidity35%
Rained 0.2″ 4 days ago
Hourly temperature
80°45°
Sunrise 6:34 AM12 AM3 AM9 AM12 PM3 PMSunset 7:32 PM
Sat
76°54°
Sun
81°55°
27%
Mon
70°52°
27%
Tue
77°48°
22%
Wed
81°51°
34%
Thu
80°50°
38%
Good to know
- Toilets at the trailhead
- Parking lot at the trailhead
More from Arapaho Pass Trail Trailhead
- Monarch Lake–Arapaho Pass Spur Loop, 3 sights 3.9 mi · ▲ 192 ft
- Monarch Lake & High Lonesome Trail 14.5 mi · ▲ 2,873 ft
- Gourd Lake–Monarch Lake, 4 sights 15.9 mi · ▲ 2,523 ft
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