Blue Lake
Blue Lake Trail is a 16.9-mile trail in Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests, Colorado. The Forest Service rates it trail class 2 to 3, moderately developed to developed. It is open to hiking, horse and pack stock, snowshoeing and cross-country skiing. It enters Rawah Wilderness and Never Summer Wilderness.
Trail conditions, closures and hazards are not tracked here. The Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests official page carries current alerts and closure orders.
Map
One end Other endLine simplified to about 100 metres. Basemap from the USGS National Map.
| One end | 40.6007° N, 105.8691° W · Directions ↗ |
| Other end | 40.6359° N, 105.9175° W · Directions ↗ |
The ends are the two ends of the longest connected chain of segments. The record does not say which is the usual start. The trail is recorded as 11 segments.
The trail
| Length | 16.9 miles |
| Trail class | 2, moderately developed; 3, developed |
| Type | snow trail, land trail |
| Surface | native material, snow |
| Typical grade | 12-20 percent |
| Typical tread width | 18-24 inches |
| Motor vehicles | Closed to all motorized use year-round |
| Accessibility | Not evaluated |
| Trail numbers | 132, 959, SNO-959 |
| Forest | Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests (unit 0210) |
| States | Colorado |
| Detail published | management level, with uses |
Values are the set across all segments. Class 1 is minimally developed and class 5 is fully developed. Grade and width are the forest's typical values, not measured extremes.
Weather by month
Allowed uses
| Hiking | Allowed year-round |
| Horse and pack stock | Allowed 09/16 to 05/14 (month/day) |
| Snowshoeing | Allowed year-round |
| Cross-country skiing | Allowed year-round |
A use is listed when the Forest Service records it as managed, accepted or discouraged on any segment. Discouraged still means legal. Uses marked restricted are left out. Where the forest publishes a Motor Vehicle Use Map, that map governs motorized use.
Wilderness
- Rawah WildernessFS · about 46% of the line is insideWilderness Connect ↗
- Never Summer WildernessFS · about 16% of the line is insideWilderness Connect ↗
Inside a designated wilderness, bicycles and motor vehicles are prohibited by law regardless of the trail record, and permits or group limits may apply.
Trailheads
Blue Lake Trailhead (#959) No season published Wilderness Regulations apply: Dogs must be on a hand held leash. No motorized or mechanized equipment. Camps, campfires, and stock, where allowed, at least 200 feet from water and trails. Group size limited to 12 people or stock animals combined. Closure Regulation s: ¼ mile closure zone around Blue and Hang Lakes. Alpine area closure, stoves only above 10,800 feet elevation (tree line). Stock and pack animals are prohibited between May 15th and September 15th. Between September 16th and May 14th overnight stock use is prohibited. | under 0.1 mi |
Long Draw Parking (Winter) Trailhead No season published | 0.1 mi |
Distance is from the point to the nearest part of the trail line. Season text is what the forest wrote and is often a season name rather than a date.
Trails nearby
Camping nearby
Campsite Atlas cards carry site counts and booking links from Recreation.gov. Forest Service cards come from the recreation layer and link the agency page.
Fire nearby
- PrescribedSalt Cabin Broadcast Rx
18 mi from the trail midpoint
- PrescribedMagic Feather Broadcast Rx
20 mi from the trail midpoint
- PrescribedFront Country Broadcast Rx
23 mi from the trail midpoint
Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge. Closure orders are on the forest's official page.
Explore
Park units nearby
Historic places nearby
Guidebooks for Colorado
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Titles come from Open Library's catalog, matched by subject heading or by title.
Reference
Questions people ask
How long is the Blue Lake Trail?
The Forest Service records 16.9 miles under this name in Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests, the sum of 11 segments.
Source: Forest Service trail layer
What is allowed on the Blue Lake Trail?
Hiking, horse and pack stock, snowshoeing and cross-country skiing are allowed. The trail is closed to motor vehicles year-round. Some uses are seasonal. The allowed uses section lists the dates.
Source: Forest Service trail layer
Where does the Blue Lake Trail start?
The line begins at 40.6007° N, 105.8691° W and ends at 40.6359° N, 105.9175° W. The nearest recorded trailhead is Blue Lake Trailhead (#959), under 0.1 miles from the line. The record does not say which end is the usual start.
Source: Forest Service trail layer
Is the Blue Lake Trail in a wilderness area?
Yes. It enters Rawah Wilderness and Never Summer Wilderness. Wilderness rules ban bicycles and motor vehicles and often limit group size.
Source: Rawah Wilderness
Where can I camp near the Blue Lake Trail?
Chambers Lake (0.8 mi), Aspen Glen Campground (2.8 mi) and Rocky Mountain National Park Timber Creek Campground (3.1 mi) are within five miles of the trail. The camping section lists all 5 with site counts and booking links.
Source: Campsite Atlas
How developed is the Blue Lake Trail?
Trail class 2 to 3, which the Forest Service describes as moderately developed to developed. Class 1 is a minimal, unimproved route and class 5 is fully developed, often paved.
Source: Forest Service trail layer
How steep and how wide is the Blue Lake Trail?
The typical grade is 12-20 percent. The typical tread is 18-24 inches wide.
Source: Forest Service trail layer
Who manages the Blue Lake Trail?
Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests, Forest Service unit 0210. The trail is in Colorado.
Source: Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests official page
Is there a fire near the Blue Lake Trail?
The interagency feed shows 3 active incidents within 50 miles of the trail midpoint as of 2026-11-01, the nearest Salt Cabin Broadcast Rx at 18 miles. Check the forest's closure orders before you go.
Source: Fire nearby
Source
This page is built from 11 segments named Blue Lake in the Forest Service TrailNFS_Publish layer, administrative unit 0210. Wilderness overlap is tested against the National Wilderness Preservation System layer from Wilderness Connect. Trailheads and Forest Service campgrounds come from the Forest Service Recreation Opportunities layer. Data refreshed November 1, 2026. The methodology page explains how segments become trails.