Hiking Guide: My Top 3 Hikes in Vail, Colorado and Travel Tips
HIKING
After slightly dying during our two week stay in Colombia (the humidity was relentless), it was time to close the chapter on six incredible months in South America. Tim and I decided to make a stop in Vail, Colorado, to visit some of his family friends before heading off on our next adventure.
We only had 10 days in Colorado, and we were determined to make the most of it and squeeze as much hiking in as possible! We had just spent 2 months at high altitude in Peru from May - July, so we were still acclimatised (Vail is 2,445m above sea level). If we hadn't been, we would have needed to allow a couple of rest days to adjust.
There were three standout hikes for me - showcasing multi coloured wildflowers, mountain views and beautiful lakes - a totally different landscape than I’d hiked in before!
Before I get into the depths of the hikes we did, here are some quick tips and observations from my trip that are helpful when planning to visit Colorado:
Jump to...
Altitude adjustment: Vail is at 2,445m/8,021ft above sea level, so take a few days to acclimatise if needed. Stay hydrated, avoid strenuous activity initially, and skip alcohol.
Getting there: We took the Bustang bus from Denver (USD $17), which took around 1.45 hours. It’s a convenient and comfortable option if you’re traveling without a car.
Accommodation shock: If you’re traveling from Australia or New Zealand, brace yourself for steep prices. Our night in Denver cost AUD $150 for a private hostel room!
Surprise! Your total bill comes to…: As in all places in the US, both tax and tip are added onto advertised prices.
Free transport: Vail offers a free bus service to the main trailheads. Check schedules at ride.vail.gov.
Thunderstorms: In summer, afternoon thunderstorms are common—eight out of our ten days had one in mid-August! Start your hikes early to avoid getting caught.
Bugs & Bears: Make sure you pack your bug-spray/DEET - the bugs are out to bite in the mountains, especially around the lakes! I was a bit nervous about bears whilst hiking, but it’s extremely rare to encounter a bear in the national parks surrounding Vail.
Mystic Island Lake and Lake Charles via Ironedge Trail
Type: Circular
Length: 24.4km / 15.2m
Time to hike: 7.5 hours including stops
Elevation Gain: 892m / 2926ft
Car needed?: Yes
This hike would also be perfect as an overnight hike, however due to time restraints we completed it within one day.
We drove out to the trailhead of this hike in the Holy Cross Wilderness park, about 1.5 hours drive from Vail.
We completed the circuit anti-clockwise, as recommended by reviewers on AllTrails, and I am glad we did it that way. The hike up to the lakes was pretty tough with a lot of steep inclines, but it’s an easy trail to follow. We started off in the forest where the trail was slightly muddy, but soon enough we were out hiking through fields of wildflowers and looking out over the mountain ranges!
Just before we reached Lake Charles, we were unlucky and were hit with a huge thunderstorm. We spent most of our time at the lake seeking shelter under trees, and jumping every time there was another deafening boom of thunder!
The thunderstorm died down after half an hour, and from there it was a short additional 1.5km to Mystic Island Lake. If you are camping, there are spots to camp between the two lakes.
The way down was mostly through towering trees and alongside a creek, and is a lot shorter than the way up. It only took about 2 hours to come back down to the carpark.
Be aware though, the flies were out to get us on this hike - despite us being layered up with spray! I would recommend long pants and a top as added protection.
Booth Lake Trail - Overnight (can be done as a day hike)
Type: There and back
Length: 14.2km/8.8mi
Time to hike: 3.5 hours there, 1.5 hours back including stops
Elevation Gain: 932m / 3057m
Car needed?: No
This is a perfect hike to do if you don’t have access to a car, or are short on time. We did this hike overnight, but it only took us just over 5 hours of walking time including a stop off at the Booth Falls waterfall along the way.
You can catch the free Vail “Bus It to Hike It” bus which drops you off just a few hundred metres from the trailhead.
The first third of the hike is the toughest section in terms of elevation, but it gets a bit easier after that. I’d recommend bringing lunch with you to have a picnic down at Booth Falls - we scrambled down to the falls off the main trail, and there were plenty of spots next to the water to set up for a meal with a view!
Surprisingly, despite passing a few people on the way to the waterfalls, we only saw one person on the trail after that!
The last stretch to the lake is also a bit of a struggle, as it’s quite steep, but the views at the top make it all worth it! We stopped there for a snack and to enjoy the views, and to watch the cheeky chipmunks attempt to steal Tims gloves.
As we were camping, we walked for about 15 minutes back down so we were below the treeline and more than a quarter mile from the lake, meaning we could have a campfire according to the restrictions in place.
It was a perfect evening for camping - clear skies, not too cold, and we had the place all to ourselves!
The next morning, we woke up early and headed straight back down the trail as we had to get back to Denver for our flight out later that day. It only took us 1.5 hours to walk back, and once we got to the bottom we only had a 5 minute wait for the free bus to take us back to our accommodation - all in all, a very easy journey!
Gore Range Trail to Gore Creek Trail (overnight)
Type: Point to Point
Length: 25.7km
Time to hike: Day 1: 6.45 hours, Day 2: 7 hours including stops
Elevation Gain: 1201m / 3940m
Car needed?: No
This hike is a combination of two hikes - the Gore Range Trail and the Gore CreekTrail.
It came highly recommended to us by Jay, our host and long-time Vail resident who we stayed with. He has hiked all over Vail in the past 20 years and recommended this trail to us.
We were dropped off at the trailhead at Copper Mountain, however you can also easily get a taxi down there from Vail (25 minutes) or the nearby town of Frisco (10 minutes).
After the first challenging 2.5km (gaining 435m/1427ft), we took a side trail to visit the Wheeler Lakes - two small lakes that are nestled amongst the meadows and forest. We stopped for a lunch break, and were lucky enough to spot a couple of deer frolicking about!
We walked back the 1.5km to the main trail, and it wasn’t long before we reached another lakes that was too beautiful not to stop at and dip our toes in (the water was far too chilly for much else!).
Due to our later start (we started at 11:45am), by the time we reached this lake it was starting to get cooler - it was now 4pm, and I was getting tired! As we only had packed for one night and we had hardly made a dent in the distance we had to cover, we pushed through for another 3 hours through meadows, over passes, past mountains (and huge patches of snow, in the middle of summer!), and through dense forest dodging fallen trees.
We finally landed on a perfect spot for camping at the bottom of a valley. We camped out just up from North Tenmile Creek, in a clearing in the forest. We cooked our dinner and made a small bonfire, and attempted to tie our food up out of reach of bears (something we never have had to worry about before!).
The next morning, we attempted an early start as we still had a lot of ground to cover. We were back on the trail by 8am (early for us, at least!). The second day treated us to more vibrant wildflowers, wildlife, mountains and lakes - everything you could hope for in a hike!
It wasn’t as tough as the first day - there were a few steep parts, but all in all it felt a lot easier than day one. Then just as we reached the point to veer off to take a side trail to Gore Lake - it started HAMMERING with hail. Within minutes we were drenched and taking cover under the shelter of trees, whilst the trail ahead of us got muddier and muddier!
We decided to skip Gore Lake and head back faster - we were cold and wet and I was not loving it. The sun finally came back out and dried us along the way, but I was still very glad to reach the end of the trail.
Hiking in Colorado had been on my bucket list for YEARS, and it exceeded my expectations! A special shout out to Jay and Nancy for their wonderful hospitality, I can't wait to come back one day and explore more of this beautiful state!
