Columbine Lake

We came up from the northern direction based on one of the comments here (thanks!). Although probably doable in a 2WD, we were happy to be in a SUV (Jeep compass) as the water just came up to our car on the river ford on the way back. The hike itself starts with some serious ascending: for the first 2 miles we indeed had a pace of about a mile per hour (we are just to quite some climbing). For the hike in total it took us about 4 hours. The path is easy to find. This was one of the most pretty hikes we’ve ever done in the US for sure. Would recommend 10/10 🤩

Beautiful lake but come prepared! You cannot reach the trail head in a small car or minivan, you might be able to get there but getting back will be a challenge, there are only maybe 6 parking space right near the trail head and they fill up quick. The next thing to know is that this is a very challenging hike if you’re not an avid hiker and even if you are this trail is a total of 8 miles out and back so 4 miles up very steep hiking, the trail is maintained well so no worries there but it is allot of altitude gain so be ready and give yourself plenty of time! There’s also little to no camp sights on the trail. But the view of the lake and even just on the trail are spectacular!! This trail took me and my group about 8 hours with spend about 30-45 minutes at the lake, you could definitely do it faster but we are not super experienced hikers

Hard hike, but gorgeous views once you clear the tree line. Lake is so pretty.

They should find a way to get people to review this at the 2.5 mile mark - the score would be a bit different! In all seriousness, it’s a gorgeous hike and the lake is spectacular. Conditions good on July 4 after a mild winter. I took the south entrance on Ophir Pass Road in a Prius. I parked just where Ophir Pass Road splits with Old Quiet Rd, tucked into side of road. That’s as far as I could go with under 6” of clearance but a sedan with slightly more clearance could probably make it a little bit further. This added .58 miles each direction onto my hike. It was a good call coming in the south entrance as I heard the north entrance required a river crossing that was at least 1 foot deep today (July 4). I clocked the route from trailhead to trailhead at 7.4 miles. The first 1.5 miles is through the forest - 15 switchbacks - with full shade but no water access. It’s very steep. The next mile takes you from treeline to the saddle/notch. It is gorgeous, but equally as brutal (if not more so). It’s a tough climb. There is water but it’s several hundred feet from the trail. The final 1.2 to miles from the saddle to the lake is more level, but traverses through at least 10 snowfields and feels like a long mile! Between the snow and alpine streams, there is plenty of water here for dogs. The snowfields were well packed but melting and slick in spots, especially as the day progressed. The lake is more gorgeous than pictures let on, the wildflowers were gorgeous and once above tree line, the views just get better and better. TH to TH took me 4 hrs 20 minutes including a nice break and snack at the lake. Five hours total with the extra 1.6 miles for parking. I didn’t bring poles and was fine, although they would have been handy at times. I was glad I wore hiking boots instead of sneakers - particular because of the snow fields and the steep downhill. You’ll need good traction. There were many people on the trail but it wasn’t overcrowded in the least. When you’re all done, you’ll think it was a great hike. Two miles in you’ll definitely be feeling less positive. Brutal is an accurate description of the first 2.5 miles!

We parked around (37.8630217, -107.7246092) because we were in a low clearance sedan and could not make it to the trailhead, but the hike to the trailhead was very doable. Steep on the start but a nice finish on the way back. I would definitely recommend hiking poles for this hike. Me and my partner are both fit young adults but the hike down did a real number on our knees. The hike probably took us 5-6 hours total but it could go much quicker or much longer depending on your group. We got lucky with warmer weather in October 2024. The hike itself is absolutely stunning! So so worth it. Wear layers as it gets cold at the top! Water is totally beautiful and just as blue in person as it looks on the map. Most of the trail is exposed above the tree line with multiple false peaks. There is a long switchback portion below the tree line. There are many loose rocks all around the trail but none too treacherous.

Depending on the time of year you do this hike, there are two options to get to the trailhead. You can come from the north and drive through a dry stream area (in the spring and early summer, you probably don't want to do this bc there will likely be water there), or you can come from the south. Coming from the south, you can park down by the bridge and walk up (elevation + extra walking on that road sucks) or if you have an AWD/4WD vehicle you can make it pretty much almost to the trailhead. We parked .20 from the trailhead in a Subaru Forester. There is one spot just before the trailhead where there is a large hole in the middle of the road and unless you have a high clearance 4WD vehicle, you're not getting through there. Also, parking fills up fast at this hike, so make sure to get here as early as possible, especially on weekends. We went during the week (after peak season) and still saw a decent number of people at the trail at/before sunrise. All of that being said, this is the most beautiful lake I've ever seen (better than ice lake and island lake). If you are traveling to this area, this is a must do hike. We've done many hikes in this general area over the years and this is our absolute favorite. This hike is considered dog friendly but at a certain point there is no more tree coverage - It gets hot FAST, so please bring a TON of water for them.

Way colder up there than at the trailhead !

Epic hike! We went there in the second half of July. Absolutely loved it. The first mile ascending was tough. Once we walked out of the tree line, the view was magnificent, all the way to the top and down. The end of trail awaited us a crystal clear blue lake, pristine and tranquil. Be prepared for the high altitude.

We were excited to hike this trail but the drive up was not possible. We were in a camper van and almost got stuck due to the potholes and wet conditions. One camper van made it to the “trailhead” but parking there was just a roundabout. I’d recommend parking the mile back near the river/bridge, but that hike up to the trailhead would be long and not fun.

Beautiful hike, challenging not because it’s technical but because most of the hike to the lake is an extended gradual incline of ~2500-3000 feet (depending on if you start at this trailhead or down below where many cars park) bringing you to ~12500 feet. The first half is a series of switchbacks in a forest type setting, the second half is exposed. The lake at the top is gorgeous, as are the mountain views throughout. Dog friendly. Really enjoyed this hike