West Lake–Colorado Trail (Segment 8), 3 sights is a 6.9-mile out-and-back near Wheeler Junction, CO. The route reaches West Lake. It climbs 1,252 ft, with sections as steep as 16% grade, and is mostly dirt. It scores 6/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: paved and peopled.
Elevation
0 mi9,702 – 10,860 ft · steepest grade: 16%7.3 mi
Getting there
Trailhead: Unnamed 39.50175, -106.14254
Nearest town Wheeler Junction, CO
Directions
AMBLEWAYwww.ambleway.com
West Lake–Colorado Trail (Segment 8), 3 sights
6.9 mi · ▲ 1,252 ft · 2 hr 56 min
Elevation 9,701–10,859 ft
Out & Back
Trailhead: 39.50175, -106.14254
Weather Sep 4: Overcast, high 70°F / low 44° · precip 10% · wind 7 mph · sunrise 6:37 AM · sunset 7:33 PM
Transit-accessible: Copper Entrance stop 240 m from the trailhead · Parking lot at the trailhead
- Start at the trailhead, heading S.
- 0.4 miTurn left, heading SW.
- 0.2 miContinue straight onto Colorado Trail (Segment 8), heading SW.
- 0.2 miBear left onto Haul Road, heading N.
- 350 ftPass West Lake.
- 150 ftTurn left, heading W.
- 50 ftTurn left onto Red Tail, heading SW.
- 0.2 miBear left onto East Fork, heading E.
- 0.2 miContinue straight onto Red Tail, heading SW.
- 0.2 miContinue straight onto Copper Mountain Road, heading W.
- 50 ftContinue straight onto Red Tail, heading W.
- 1.4 miContinue straight onto Copper Mt.-Mckenzie Gulch Road, heading E.
- 0.5 miReach West Lake, then turn around and head back the way you came.
- 0.5 miContinue straight onto Red Tail, heading NW.
- 1.4 miContinue straight onto Copper Mountain Road, heading NW.
- 50 ftContinue straight onto Red Tail, heading W.
- 0.2 miContinue straight onto East Fork, heading E.
- 0.2 miBear right onto Red Tail, heading NE.
- 0.2 miTurn right, heading NE.
- 50 ftTurn right onto Haul Road, heading NE.
- 0.1 miBear right onto Colorado Trail (Segment 8), heading W.
- 0.4 miTurn right, heading SE.
- 0.3 miArrive back at the trailhead.
Each distance is the walk from the previous step. Tap a step for a map of its junction.
Trail surface
69% dirt13% paved18% unspecified
Weather
OvercastTemperature 70°F44°
Precip10%Wind7 mphUV8Humidity31%
Rained 0.1″ 5 days ago
Hourly temperature
70°40°
Sunrise 6:37 AM12 AM3 AM9 AM12 PM3 PMSunset 7:33 PM
Sat
71°47°
Sun
76°51°
28%
Mon
65°50°
40%
Tue
72°46°
19%
Wed
74°48°
39%
Thu
74°50°
44%
Good to know
- Transit-accessible: Copper Entrance stop 240 m from the trailhead
- Parking lot at the trailhead
More from this trailhead
- Colorado Trail (Segment 8) & Haul Road 1.9 mi · ▲ 122 ft
- Tenmile Recpath 2.5 mi · ▲ 54 ft
- Fremont Pass Recreational Pathway Loop 3.1 mi · ▲ 314 ft
- Fremont Pass Recreational Pathway Loop 3.1 mi · ▲ 294 ft
- West Lake & Elk Alley via Copper Mountain Road 3.8 mi · ▲ 644 ft
- Colorado Trail (Segment 8) 4.3 mi · ▲ 525 ft
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