AMBLEWAY Wildest hikes
St. Mary's Glacier, Colorado - panoramio.jpg
matt.a · CC BY 3.0
Arapaho National Forest

Saint Mary's Glacier–Saint Mary's Lake, 7 sights

8.9 mi · ▲ 3,731 ft · 4 hr 50 min

Saint Mary's Glacier–Saint Mary's Lake, 7 sights is an 8.9-mile out-and-back in Arapaho National Forest near Alice, CO. The route passes Lake Quivira, Saint Mary's Lake and Saint Mary's Glacier. It climbs 3,731 ft, with sections as steep as 33% grade. It scores 86/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: genuinely wild.

Elevation

0 mi10,394 – 13,255 ft · steepest grade: 33%9.4 mi

Getting there

Trailhead: St Marys Glacier Trailhead 39.82712, -105.64341
Nearest town Alice, CO
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Directions

AMBLEWAYwww.ambleway.com

Saint Mary's Glacier–Saint Mary's Lake, 7 sights

8.9 mi · ▲ 3,731 ft · 4 hr 50 min

Elevation 10,393–13,257 ft

Out & Back · Arapaho National Forest

Trailhead: St Marys Glacier Trailhead · 39.82712, -105.64341

Weather Sep 4: sunrise 6:34 AM · sunset 7:31 PM

Dogs allowed on leash · Toilets at the trailhead · Parking lot at the trailhead

  1. Start on St Marys Glacier Hike, heading NE.
  2. 50 ftPass Lake Quivira.
  3. 0.2 miBear right onto St. Mary's Glacier Trail, heading NW.
  4. 50 ftContinue straight onto St Marys Glacier Hike, heading NW.
  5. 50 ftBear left onto St. Mary's Glacier Trail, heading NW.
  6. 50 ftPass Saint Mary's Lake.
  7. 150 ftContinue straight onto St Marys Glacier Hike, heading N.
  8. 250 ftContinue straight onto St. Mary's Glacier Trail, heading NW.
  9. 50 ftContinue straight onto St Marys Glacier Hike, heading NW.
  10. 50 ftContinue straight onto St. Mary's Glacier Trail, heading N.
  11. 50 ftContinue straight onto St Marys Glacier Hike, heading N.
  12. 50 ftContinue straight onto St. Mary's Glacier Trail, heading N.
  13. 0.2 miPass Saint Mary's Glacier.
  14. 0.5 miContinue straight onto Kingston Peak Spur, heading NW.
  15. 0.6 miTurn left onto Kingston Peak Road, heading W.
  16. 0.2 miSharp right, heading S.
  17. 0.2 miBear right onto James Peak South, heading NW.
  18. 1 miContinue straight onto James Peak Trail, heading W.
  19. 300 ftContinue straight onto James Peak South, heading NW.
  20. 1.4 miReach Saint Mary's Glacier, then turn around and head back the way you came.
  21. 1.4 miContinue straight onto James Peak Trail, heading SE.
  22. 350 ftContinue straight onto James Peak South, heading NE.
  23. 1 miBear left, heading SE.
  24. 0.2 miSharp left onto Kingston Peak Road, heading S.
  25. 0.1 miTurn right onto Kingston Peak Spur, heading SE.
  26. 0.6 miContinue straight onto St. Mary's Glacier Trail, heading E.
  27. 0.7 miContinue straight onto St Marys Glacier Hike, heading SE.
  28. 100 ftContinue straight onto St. Mary's Glacier Trail, heading SE.
  29. 50 ftContinue straight onto St Marys Glacier Hike, heading SE.
  30. 50 ftContinue straight onto St. Mary's Glacier Trail, heading SE.
  31. 50 ftContinue straight onto St Marys Glacier Hike, heading SE.
  32. 250 ftContinue straight onto St. Mary's Glacier Trail, heading S.
  33. 150 ftBear right onto St Marys Glacier Hike, heading S.
  34. 50 ftContinue straight onto St. Mary's Glacier Trail, heading S.
  35. 50 ftBear left onto St Marys Glacier Hike, heading SE.
  36. 0.2 miArrive back at the trailhead.

Each distance is the walk from the previous step. Tap a step for a map of its junction.

Trail map, photos and weather for this hike: www.ambleway.com/hikes/saint-marys-glacier-saint-marys-glacier-out-back-10-sights-14-km

Trail surface

63% other32% dirt5% unspecified

Weather

Sunrise 6:34 AMSunset 7:31 PM

Sunset

The best sunset spot on this hike is 3.9 mi in (~176 min). Leave by 4:15 PM for the 7:31 PM sunset. Back at your car by 9:22 PM, after dark — bring a headlamp.

More sunset hikes nearby

Good to know

  • Dogs allowed on leash
  • Toilets at the trailhead
  • Parking lot at the trailhead

More from St Marys Glacier Trailhead Trailhead

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