Ice Lake Trailhead

I would say one of the best hikes I’ve done . The bluest lake I have ever seen. The hike was not too bad . Steep towards the end but the views were spectacular. Few waterfalls along the way and a lot of wild flowers during our hike. We had to stop a lot of times to take photos. We camped at the South Mineral Campground which is just right off the trailhead. We started not too early and there were still plenty parking although it gets too busy as well during the peak season . I highly reccomend this trail and you can also do the loop that goes to the Island lakes. It would be a 2 in 1 hike .

Amazing hike. July and August parking can be tough. Monday - Wednesday are okay/best bet but if you show up after 7 AM regardless parking is near impossible. We arrived at 6:15 AM and there were a handful of spots. Lot remains full overnight because hikers camp off trail overnight. My wife and I live in Pagosa Springs and hike a lot and we found this hike to be hard but worth every step. The views are amazing the whole way and wild flowers right now are in full bloom. At the “Y” split we went right “counter clockwise”. This takes you to Island Lake. It is the shorter of the 2 options but steeper. From Island Lake we hiked over to Ice Lake. It is mostly down from this point and there are 2 sections that are narrow, steep, and slick - take your time. Basically by hitting Island Lake first and the steeps - we paid the price upfront. Ice Lake is gorgeous and the decent from there can be crowded as you head down and other hikers head up. We thought the Ice Lake portion of the trail, the final accent after you cross the last stream had way more loose rock than the Island Lake trail. We did see a lot of hikers that appeared unprepared. No water packs (you should have at a minimum of 2 liters/person), rain gear, good hiking shoes, food, and such. You really need to be prepared as we experienced sun, clouds, cold wind, rain, and thunder and lightning. We were on the hike/mountain for 5+ hours. It is amazing! One of CO’s best, if not the best, Alpine Hike in the state.

The loop was 8 miles! This is a hard hike! Went counter-clockwise and it indeed reaches 12,600 before dropping down to lake its a wild 2800 foot climb. Really epic, bit challenging between island and ice lake, otherwise a breeze just long. Most beautiful hike in colorado, so many colors. Everytime I come back to the san jaun it always seems to get better and better!!!

First week of August, we got to the trailhead at 9am and parking was full. We had to park on the side of the road and walk to the trailhead. We are moderate hikers and this trail took us 8 hours to complete. We stopped a lot for photo, snack, and rest. There were flowers along the trail. The island lake and ice lake are beautiful. Water is crystal blue. The view is amazing and very worth it. People along the trail advised us to get to the island lake first then to the ice lake and complete the loop counter clockwise. It was easier because the trail has a lot of loose gravels from ice lake back to the trailhead.

This trail was extremely hard it has very steep inclines. The perception of this trail depends on your hiking experience and what the person finds difficult. This hike though is not just a oh let's go hiking for the day. NO it is an experienced hiker type of trail. Once you leave the tree line the air is super thin. Make sure you take lots of water. If your a slow hiker it will take you longer than 5hrs to the top and back so keep in mind the time of day you want to hike this trail as well.

What a day. This was hands down the most beautiful hike I’ve experienced. 12,500 ft of climbing made it tough, but the views made it unforgettable.

Stunning hike but did not make it to the lake. We took the left hand trail at the Y and it was snowing heavily. There is a narrow rock ledge and was too sketchy (for us) to traverse. There is another path to the right at the Y and it is steep but no narrow edges. Absolutely stunning views with intense uphill hike with moderate elevation gains. Will end up near 13k so be prepared for the elevation of you are from sea level (like I am). Moderately difficult hike with some areas being pretty challenging. Small parking area. Nice drive up to the trailhead where we witnessed moose. There are restrooms but they were locked and only for campers.

Best hike I've ever been on. Go while there are still wildflowers in bloom