Gourd Lake–Monarch Lake, 4 sights is a 15.9-mile out-and-back in Arapaho National Forest near Tabernash, CO. The route passes Monarch Lake before reaching Gourd Lake at the turnaround, 8 miles in. It climbs 2,523 ft and is mostly dirt. It scores 96/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: genuinely wild.
Elevation
0 mi8,347 – 10,837 ft16.0 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
Gourd Lake–Monarch Lake, 4 sights
15.9 mi · ▲ 2,523 ft · 6 hr 34 min
Elevation 8,346–10,838 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.
- 3.2 miTurn left onto Buchanan Pass Trail, heading NE.
- 2.2 miSharp left onto Gourd Lake Trail, heading NW.
- 2.6 miReach Gourd Lake, then turn around and head back the way you came.
- 2.6 miSharp right onto Buchanan Pass Trail, heading W.
- 2.2 miTurn right onto Cascade Creek Trail, heading SW.
- 3.2 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
100% dirt
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
- Crater Lake–Monarch Lake, 4 lakes 14.3 mi · ▲ 2,054 ft
- Monarch Lake & High Lonesome Trail 14.5 mi · ▲ 2,873 ft
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