Little Blue Lake–Brainard Lake, 6 sights is a 12.3-mile out-and-back in Indian Peaks Wilderness near Ward, CO. The route passes Brainard Lake before reaching Little Blue Lake at the turnaround, 6.2 miles in. It climbs 4,996 ft, with sections as steep as 50% grade, and is mostly dirt. It scores 84/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: genuinely wild.
Elevation
0 mi10,345 – 13,213 ft · steepest grade: 50%12.8 mi
Getting there
Trailhead: Pawnee Campground Loop C 40.07862, -105.56928
Nearest town Ward, CO
Directions
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Little Blue Lake–Brainard Lake, 6 sights
12.3 mi · ▲ 4,996 ft · 6 hr 36 min
Elevation 10,346–13,214 ft
Out & Back · Indian Peaks Wilderness
Trailhead: Pawnee Campground Loop C · 40.07862, -105.56928
Weather Sep 4: Rain, high 70°F / low 48° · precip 24% · wind 12 mph · sunrise 6:34 AM · sunset 7:31 PM
Dogs allowed on leash · Toilets at the trailhead · Drinking water at the trailhead · Parking lot at the trailhead
- Start at the trailhead, heading W.
- 0.1 miPass Brainard Lake.
- 200 ftTurn right onto Brainard Lake Road, heading NW.
- 150 ftBear right onto Brainard Lake Cutoff Trail, heading NW.
- 300 ftTurn left onto CMC Brainard Snowshoe trail, heading N.
- 0.4 miBear left onto CMC Cabin Cutoff, heading W.
- 250 ftTurn right onto Mitchell Lake Trailhead Connector Trail, heading SW.
- 0.3 miTurn right, heading W.
- 100 ftTurn left onto Beaver Creek Trail, heading N.
- 1.7 miBear left onto Mount Audubon Trail, heading N.
- 3 miTurn left, heading W.
- 0.5 miReach Little Blue Lake, then turn around and head back the way you came.
- 3.5 miBear right onto Beaver Creek Trail, heading E.
- 1.7 miTurn right, heading SW.
- 100 ftTurn left onto Mitchell Lake Trailhead Connector Trail, heading SW.
- 0.3 miTurn left onto CMC Cabin Cutoff, heading E.
- 250 ftBear right onto CMC Brainard Snowshoe trail, heading SE.
- 0.5 miTurn right onto Brainard Lake Cutoff Trail, heading NE.
- 300 ftBear left onto Brainard Lake Road, heading E.
- 150 ftTurn left, heading NE.
- 350 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
89% dirt2% paved9% unspecified
Weather
RainTemperature 70°F48°
Precip24%Wind12 mphUV8Humidity47%
Rained 0.1″ 5 days ago
Hourly temperatureRain chance
70°45°
Sunrise 6:34 AM12 AM3 AM9 AM12 PM3 PMSunset 7:31 PM
Sat
68°48°
Sun
72°51°
52%
Mon
65°48°
40%
Tue
68°44°
29%
Wed
69°46°
35%
Thu
70°47°
40%
Sunset
The best sunset spot on this hike is 4.6 mi in (~185 min). Leave by 4:06 PM for the 7:31 PM sunset. Back at your car by 9:39 PM, after dark — bring a headlamp.
Good to know
- Dogs allowed on leash
- Toilets at the trailhead
- Drinking water at the trailhead
- Parking lot at the trailhead
More from Pawnee Campground Loop C Trailhead
- Long Lake–Brainard Lake, 3 lakes 2.1 mi · ▲ 194 ft
- Long Lake–Brainard Lake Loop, 9 sights 3.7 mi · ▲ 423 ft
- Mitchell Lake–Brainard Lake, 6 sights 3.9 mi · ▲ 426 ft
- Red Rock Lake–Brainard Lake, 3 lakes 4 mi · ▲ 285 ft
- Blue Lake–Mitchell Lake, 7 sights 6.5 mi · ▲ 1,029 ft
- James Basin Road–South Saint Vrain Trail, 4 sights 9.6 mi · ▲ 1,201 ft
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Hikes near Ward, Colorado