Hermit Lake is a stunning alpine lake in Custer County, tucked below Hermit Pass in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains of southern Colorado. With a near-perfect 4.9 rating from visitors, this high-mountain lake delivers the kind of scenery and fishing that keeps people coming back year after year. Getting here is part of the adventure — the lake sits about 5.5 miles up the Hermit Pass road from the bottom, a rough, rocky 4x4 route that takes roughly an hour to navigate even in a capable vehicle like a stock Toyota 4Runner.
Fishing at Hermit Lake is exceptional. The cold, clear water supports brook trout, wild native cutthroat trout with distinctive red gills and spots, and rainbow trout. Anglers who know what they are doing can have banner days here — one visitor reported catching and releasing 52 fish in a single session, a mix of all three species. The presence of wild native cutthroat makes Hermit Lake particularly special for Colorado trout fishing enthusiasts who want to connect with a native species in its natural high-altitude habitat. Whether you fly fish or spin cast, the fish are plentiful and willing to bite.
A signed trailhead off the Hermit Pass road marks the start of an easy half-mile hike down to the lake. The trail is straightforward and suitable for most fitness levels, making the lake surprisingly accessible once you survive the road. At the lake, you will find dispersed camping areas with room to set up along the shoreline — no developed facilities, but the setting more than compensates. The views from the surrounding ridgeline are consistently described as some of the best in southern Colorado, with panoramic sightlines across the Sangre de Cristo range.
Hermit Lake is a pack-in, pack-out destination with no restrooms, water, or services. The Hermit Pass road demands a high-clearance four-wheel-drive vehicle, and road conditions vary significantly with weather and season. Plan for cold temperatures at elevation even in summer, and bring layers. The closest services are in Westcliffe, the Custer County seat, where you can stock up on supplies, food, and fuel before heading into the mountains. For anglers and hikers seeking a genuinely remote Colorado alpine lake experience with world-class trout fishing and jaw-dropping mountain scenery, Hermit Lake is hard to beat.