Mitchell Lake–Brainard Lake, 6 sights is a 4-mile out-and-back in Indian Peaks Wilderness near Ward, CO. The route passes Brainard Lake before reaching Mitchell Lake at the turnaround, 2 miles in. It climbs 402 ft and is mostly dirt. It scores 57/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: backcountry feel.
Elevation
0 mi10,345 – 10,739 ft4.4 mi
Getting there
Trailhead: Niwot Cutoff Trail 40.07622, -105.57721
Nearest town Ward, CO
Directions
AMBLEWAYwww.ambleway.com
Mitchell Lake–Brainard Lake, 6 sights
4 mi · ▲ 402 ft · 1 hr 32 min
Elevation 10,346–10,739 ft
Out & Back · Indian Peaks Wilderness
Trailhead: Niwot Cutoff Trail · 40.07622, -105.57721
Weather Sep 5: Light rain, high 66°F / low 51° · precip 8% · wind 7 mph · sunrise 6:35 AM · sunset 7:29 PM
Dogs allowed on leash · Parking lot at the trailhead
- Start on Niwot Cutoff Trail, heading NW.
- 50 ftPass Brainard Lake.
- 150 ftSharp right, heading E.
- 0.3 miBear left, heading NE.
- 50 ftBear right, heading NE.
- 50 ftTurn left onto Brainard Lake Road, heading N.
- 150 ftBear right onto Brainard Lake Cutoff Trail, heading NW.
- 300 ftTurn left onto CMC Brainard Snowshoe trail, heading N.
- 0.5 miBear left onto CMC Cabin Cutoff, heading SW.
- 250 ftTurn right onto Mitchell Lake Trailhead Connector Trail, heading W.
- 0.3 miContinue straight onto Mitchell Lake Trail, heading W.
- 0.8 miTurn right, heading NW.
- 150 ftReach Mitchell Lake, then turn around and head back the way you came.
- 0.8 miContinue straight onto Mitchell Lake Trailhead Connector Trail, heading E.
- 0.3 miTurn left onto CMC Cabin Cutoff, heading E.
- 250 ftBear right onto CMC Brainard Snowshoe trail, heading E.
- 0.5 miTurn right onto Brainard Lake Cutoff Trail, heading E.
- 300 ftBear left onto Brainard Lake Road, heading NE.
- 150 ftTurn right, heading NE.
- 50 ftBear left, heading NE.
- 50 ftBear right, heading NE.
- 0.3 miSharp left onto Niwot Cutoff 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
98% dirt1% paved1% unspecified
Weather
Light rainTemperature 66°F51°
Precip8%Wind7 mphUV7Humidity40%
Rained 0.1″ 6 days ago
Hourly temperature
70°50°
Sunrise 6:35 AM12 AM3 AM9 AM12 PM3 PMSunset 7:29 PM
Sun
63°49°
38%
Mon
64°46°
27%
Tue
70°43°
31%
Wed
71°47°
37%
Thu
66°45°
33%
Fri
69°44°
30%
Good to know
- Dogs allowed on leash
- Parking lot at the trailhead
More from Niwot Cutoff Trail Trailhead
- Red Rock Lake–Brainard Lake, 4 sights 4.5 mi · ▲ 312 ft
- Lake Isabelle–Long Lake, 5 lakes 4.9 mi · ▲ 551 ft
- Blue Lake–Mitchell Lake, 8 sights 6.8 mi · ▲ 1,004 ft
- Albion Lake–Long Lake, 5 lakes 11.4 mi · ▲ 2,268 ft
- Paiute Peak–Brainard Lake, 7 sights 11.7 mi · ▲ 3,845 ft
- Long Lake–Silver Lake Reservoir, 5 lakes 13.3 mi · ▲ 2,404 ft
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