Curtain Ponds–Rainbow Lake, 5 sights is a 15.4-mile out-and-back near Wheeler Junction, CO. The route passes Curtain Ponds before reaching Rainbow Lake at the turnaround, 7.7 miles in. It climbs 921 ft and is mostly paved. It scores 0/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: paved and peopled.
Elevation
0 mi9,088 – 9,768 ft15.7 mi
Getting there
Trailhead: Wheeler Trail 39.49734, -106.13638
Nearest town Wheeler Junction, CO
Directions
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Curtain Ponds–Rainbow Lake, 5 sights
15.4 mi · ▲ 921 ft · 5 hr 36 min
Elevation 9,089–9,767 ft
Out & Back
Trailhead: Wheeler Trail · 39.49734, -106.13638
Weather Sep 4: Overcast, high 70°F / low 44° · precip 8% · wind 4 mph · sunrise 6:37 AM · sunset 7:33 PM
Toilets at the trailhead · Parking lot at the trailhead
- Start on Wheeler Trail, heading E.
- 200 ftTurn left onto Fremont Pass Recreational Pathway, heading NW.
- 0.6 miBear right, heading N.
- 50 ftBear left onto Tenmile Recpath, heading N.
- 0.4 miPass Curtain Ponds.
- 5.4 miContinue straight onto Temple Trail, heading NE.
- 0.2 miTurn right onto Halfway Stop Trail, heading S.
- 0.2 miBear right onto Mount Royal Trail, heading SE.
- 0.3 miBear right, heading S.
- 250 ftContinue straight onto Peaks Trail, heading SE.
- 0.6 miPass Rainbow Lake.
- 50 ftTurn right onto Rainbow Lake, heading SE.
- 50 ftReach Curtain Ponds, then turn around and head back the way you came.
- 50 ftTurn left onto Peaks Trail, heading SE.
- 0.7 miBear left, heading NW.
- 0.1 miContinue straight onto Mount Royal Trail, heading NW.
- 0.1 miBear left onto Halfway Stop Trail, heading NW.
- 0.2 miTurn left onto Temple Trail, heading NW.
- 300 ftBear left, heading NW.
- 0.1 miContinue straight onto Tenmile Recpath, heading NW.
- 5.7 miBear right, heading S.
- 50 ftBear left onto Fremont Pass Recreational Pathway, heading S.
- 0.6 miTurn right onto Wheeler Trail, heading SE.
- 100 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
85% paved15% dirt
Weather
OvercastTemperature 70°F44°
Precip8%Wind4 mphUV8Humidity24%
Rained 0.1″ 5 days ago
Hourly temperature
70°40°
Sunrise 6:37 AM12 AM3 AM9 AM12 PM3 PMSunset 7:33 PM
Sat
72°48°
Sun
72°49°
Mon
65°49°
37%
Tue
72°46°
26%
Wed
74°48°
42%
Thu
74°50°
38%
Good to know
- Toilets at the trailhead
- Parking lot at the trailhead
More from Wheeler Trail Trailhead
- Curtain Ponds–Fremont Pass Recreational Pathway, 3 sights 1.9 mi · ▲ 82 ft
- Fremont Pass Recreational Pathway 2.6 mi · ▲ 56 ft
- Fremont Pass Recreational Pathway Loop 3.1 mi · ▲ 287 ft
- Fremont Pass Recreational Pathway Loop 3.1 mi · ▲ 286 ft
- Colorado Trail (Segment 8) 3.6 mi · ▲ 489 ft
- West Lake & Colorado Trail (Segment 8) 3.9 mi · ▲ 497 ft
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