AMBLEWAY Wildest hikes

Cottonwood Run Natural Area

Namaqua Hill–Schuster Lake, 6 lakes

10.5 mi · ▲ 440 ft · 3 hr 43 min

Namaqua Hill–Schuster Lake, 6 lakes is a 10.5-mile out-and-back in Cottonwood Run Natural Area near Loveland, CO. The route passes Jayhawker Pond North, Jayhawker Pond South, Dragonfly Pond and 2 more before reaching Namaqua Hill at the turnaround, 5.2 miles in. It climbs 440 ft. It scores 0/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: paved and peopled.

Elevation

0 mi4,954 – 5,420 ft11.3 mi

Getting there

Trailhead: Unnamed 40.39138, -105.09526
Nearest town Loveland, CO
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Directions

AMBLEWAYwww.ambleway.com

Namaqua Hill–Schuster Lake, 6 lakes

10.5 mi · ▲ 440 ft · 3 hr 43 min

Elevation 4,954–5,419 ft

Out & Back · Cottonwood Run Natural Area

Trailhead: 40.39138, -105.09526

Weather Sep 4: Overcast, high 94°F / low 59° · precip 5% · wind 6 mph · sunrise 6:32 AM · sunset 7:29 PM

Transit-accessible: SB CASCADE AVE & EISENHOWER BLVD stop 243 m from the trailhead · Parking lot at the trailhead

  1. Start at the trailhead, heading S.
  2. 50 ftPass Jayhawker Pond North.
  3. 50 ftPass Jayhawker Pond South.
  4. 50 ftBear left, heading SE.
  5. 50 ftTurn left, heading E.
  6. 0.1 miPass Dragonfly Pond.
  7. 50 ftPass Sandpiper Pond.
  8. 50 ftTurn left, heading N.
  9. 0.1 miTurn left, heading N.
  10. 150 ftTurn right, heading N.
  11. 350 ftBear left onto Big Thompson River Trail, heading N.
  12. 1.1 miPass Schuster Lake.
  13. 0.1 miBear right, heading NW.
  14. 1.3 miTurn right onto Westside Trail, heading W.
  15. 0.4 miTurn left, heading N.
  16. 500 ftBear right, heading N.
  17. 50 ftTurn left, heading N.
  18. 0.5 miTurn right, heading SW.
  19. 50 ftTurn right, heading SW.
  20. 0.7 miTurn right, heading NW.
  21. 0.6 miTurn right, heading NW.
  22. 100 ftTurn right, heading NW.
  23. 450 ftReach Namaqua Hill, then turn around and head back the way you came.
  24. 450 ftTurn left, heading N.
  25. 100 ftTurn left, heading NE.
  26. 0.6 miTurn left, heading SE.
  27. 0.7 miTurn left, heading N.
  28. 50 ftTurn left, heading N.
  29. 0.5 miTurn right, heading NE.
  30. 50 ftBear left, heading NE.
  31. 0.5 miTurn left onto Big Thompson River Trail, heading S.
  32. 1.1 miTurn right, heading E.
  33. 1.5 miBear right, heading SE.
  34. 350 ftTurn left, heading E.
  35. 150 ftTurn right, heading SE.
  36. 0.1 miTurn right, heading E.
  37. 0.1 miTurn right, heading E.
  38. 50 ftBear right, heading E.
  39. 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 map, photos and weather for this hike: www.ambleway.com/hikes/schuster-lake-sandpiper-pond-out-back-8-lakes-13-km-1a71

Trail surface

34% paved21% dirt11% gravel34% unspecified

Weather

OvercastTemperature 94°F59°
Feels like80°Precip5%Wind6 mphUV7Humidity18%
Rained 0.1″ 4 days ago
Hourly temperature
95°55°
Sunrise 6:32 AM12 AM3 AM9 AM12 PM3 PMSunset 7:29 PM
Sat 93°64°
Sun 95°65° 33%
Mon 94°68° 33%
Tue 89°62° 16%
Wed 90°60° 24%
Thu 97°61° 24%

Good to know

  • Transit-accessible: SB CASCADE AVE & EISENHOWER BLVD stop 243 m from the trailhead
  • Parking lot at the trailhead

More from this trailhead

Hikes near Loveland, Colorado