Heart Lake–Rollins Pass, 3 saddles is an 11-mile out-and-back in Arapaho National Forest near East Portal, CO. The route passes Rollins Pass before reaching Heart Lake at the turnaround, 5.4 miles in. It climbs 1,979 ft, with sections as steep as 28% grade, and is mostly dirt. It scores 84/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: genuinely wild.
Elevation
0 mi11,274 – 12,150 ft · steepest grade: 28%11.2 mi
Getting there
Trailhead: Rollins Pass Trailhead Road 39.93500, -105.68221
Nearest town East Portal, CO
Directions
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Heart Lake–Rollins Pass, 3 saddles
11 mi · ▲ 1,979 ft · 4 hr 39 min
Elevation 11,273–12,151 ft
Out & Back · Arapaho National Forest
Trailhead: Rollins Pass Trailhead Road · 39.93500, -105.68221
Weather Sep 5: 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.
- 0.4 miTurn left, heading NW.
- 0.1 miBear right, heading N.
- 0.1 miReach Heart Lake, then turn around and head back the way you came.
- 0.1 miBear left, heading NE.
- 0.5 miBear right onto Ute Trail, heading S.
- 100 ftContinue straight onto Rogers Pass Trail, heading S.
- 450 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
93% dirt7% 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