Ice Lake Trailhead

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.

The trail from the campground is a nice hike especially in the fall. We made it to the waterfall and the old mine. After that the path is getting pretty steep, so we skipped that

This hike was beautiful and quite strenuous. It was pretty much all uphill till you get to the lake. It’s not very technical but there is little bit of scrambling to get to island lake(it was quite sketchy honestly especially with a heavy backpacking bag). Highly recommend this as a day hike and definitely take a plunge in the lake!

Calling all hikers!! This is my favorite to date. The whole journey is beautiful. Even the drive to the trailhead is nice. Don’t worry about the 4.3 miles of dirt road to the trailhead. It’s flat. Any car can make it. I started at 2pm and there were plenty of parking. Weather was perfect. The trail starts with 2.2 miles grueling climb to the split. I would recommend going clockwise cause there’s 3/4 miles of leveling out. Gives you a bit of a break before climbing up again to the first lake. This trail is perfectly created to see waterfalls, wild flowers, lush green trees, and of course the lakes. HaPi trails!

I absolutely loved every minute of traveling to Lake Nighthorse, then to my Airbnb at Silverton, did this Amazing Hilke and back home with a stopover at Pagosa Springs on my way back to Colorado Springs. 1. Download your driving map before you leave WiFi connectivity. I used Google Maps. 2. Download your trail maps too. I used All Trails. 3. I stayed in Silverton and the Steaks were frozen at the only Grocery store there. I had a Airbnb which allowed me to use their gas grill but didn't get to use it because steaks would not thaw fast enough before I left. 4. We got to the trailhead parking lot at 5:30 am 7 Aug. It started to fill in. When we returned at Noon, it was packed. We brought flashlights to start the trail early. 5. We would have kept going to Island Lake because it is a confirmed Loop; but my legs were cramped already at the top. 6. Bring oxygen container and that magnesium stuff. 7. Pack a light water container. E.g. The plastic Orange Juice from Costco and recycle that plastic Container for water. Yeti is strong BUT heavy. I wished I had a lighter container.

Very beautiful hike, definitely a challenge if you lack experience, if you're coming from low altitudes go with caution.

Beautiful trail, now one of our favorite hikes. The views for most of the hike are beautiful. If you're going to the lakes, make a left at the fork and go clockwise. If you do so, the incline will be gradual. If you go to the right, the incline will be painful and more steep for a long stretch. The views are also better if you go to the left. While you're walking uphill, it's always nice to be able to stop and see a beautiful view around you, but the view isn't as good if you're walking counter clockwise. The lakes are beautiful and different. There is mud between the two lakes, and maybe a bit before/after (depending on which way you come from) the island lake. We got to the parking lot (outside of peak season) at 7am and there were already several cars there. By 7:30, all of the spots were taken. By the time we got back from the hike, there were cars crammed into every little spot you could think of, and parked down the street. Get here early or you might be fighting for parking. Either way, this hike is 100% worth it. There is a pit toilet at the trailhead. You will see lots of dogs on this trail, and several of them will be off leash.

It was a really nice hike! We got to the parking lot at 8:45 am and snagged one of the last spots! Would recommend getting there sooner, to beat the afternoon thunderstorms and to get a good spot. It looks like there a lot of people in the parking lot but it wasn't that busy on the trails. There is a bit of elevation climb, but it's gorgeous! There were lots of flowers blooming and the lake was great! Not going lie we are sucking air going up there since we are not used to the elevation!