Heart Lake & South Boulder Creek Trail
8.5 mi · ▲ 2,087 ft · 3 hr 53 min
Heart Lake & South Boulder Creek Trail is an 8.5-mile out-and-back in James Peak Wilderness near East Portal, CO. The route reaches Heart Lake at the turnaround, 4.3 miles in. It climbs 2,087 ft, with sections as steep as 25% grade. It scores 90/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: genuinely wild.
Elevation
Getting there
Directions
Heart Lake & South Boulder Creek Trail
8.5 mi · ▲ 2,087 ft · 3 hr 53 min
Elevation 9,211–11,320 ft
Out & Back · James Peak Wilderness
Trailhead: South Boulder Creek Trail · 39.90301, -105.64416
Weather Sep 4: Light rain, high 74°F / low 50° · precip 27% · wind 6 mph · sunrise 6:34 AM · sunset 7:31 PM
Horses allowed on the whole route · Dogs allowed on leash · Toilets at the trailhead · Parking lot at the trailhead
- Start on South Boulder Creek Trail, heading NW.
- 4.3 miReach Heart Lake, then turn around and head back the way you came.
- 4.2 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
Good to know
- Horses allowed on the whole route
- Dogs allowed on leash
- Toilets at the trailhead
- Parking lot at the trailhead
More from South Boulder Creek Trail Trailhead
- South Boulder Creek Trail 2 mi · ▲ 326 ft
- Forest Lakes Trail & South Boulder Creek Trail 4.1 mi · ▲ 801 ft
- Clayton Lake–Clayton Lake Trail, 3 sights 5.6 mi · ▲ 1,773 ft
- Crater Lakes (Lower North)–Crater Lakes (Lower South), 4 sights 5.7 mi · ▲ 1,391 ft
- Arapaho Lakes (Lower)–Arapaho Lakes Trail, 4 sights 7 mi · ▲ 1,927 ft
- South Boulder Creek Trail 9.2 mi · ▲ 2,660 ft
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Hikes near East Portal, Colorado