Colorado · Trail 975

Diamond Lake

Diamond Lake Trail is a 7.6-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, snowshoeing and cross-country skiing. It enters Indian Peaks 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 end39.9910° N, 105.6423° W · Directions ↗
Other end39.9910° N, 105.6423° 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 6 segments.

The trail

Length7.6 miles
Trail class2, moderately developed; 3, developed
Typesnow trail, land trail
Surfacenative material, snow
Typical grade12-20 percent
Typical tread width18-24 inches
Motor vehiclesClosed to all motorized use year-round
AccessibilityNot evaluated
Trail numbers975, SNO-975
ForestArapaho and Roosevelt National Forests (unit 0210)
StatesColorado
Detail publishedmanagement 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

NOAA climate normals →
Weather by month near Diamond Lake Trail10°20°30°40°50°60°January: 2.67 inches of precipitationFebruary: 2.77 inches of precipitationMarch: 3.68 inches of precipitationApril: 4.83 inches of precipitationMay: 3.82 inches of precipitationJune: 1.95 inches of precipitationJuly: 3.04 inches of precipitationAugust: 2.51 inches of precipitationSeptember: 2.01 inches of precipitationOctober: 2.17 inches of precipitationNovember: 2.26 inches of precipitationDecember: 2.15 inches of precipitationJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecJanuary: 20.2°F averageFebruary: 19.6°F averageMarch: 26.1°F averageApril: 30.9°F averageMay: 39.4°F averageJune: 48.9°F averageJuly: 55.2°F averageAugust: 53.3°F averageSeptember: 46.0°F averageOctober: 36.4°F averageNovember: 27.2°F averageDecember: 19.7°F average0 in1 in2 in3 in4 in5 inTemp °FInches
The line is the average temperature and the bars are average precipitation at Boulder 14 W, 6 miles from the trail midpoint at 9,828 feet, station USW00094075 in the NOAA monthly climate normals for 1991 to 2020. Precipitation totals about 34 inches a year.

Allowed uses

HikingAllowed 06/01 to 10/31 (month/day)
SnowshoeingAllowed year-round
Cross-country skiingAllowed 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

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

The Forest Service recreation layer records no trailhead within a third of a mile of this trail's line. Many trails start from a road pullout or another trail with no trailhead record. The forest's recreation pages list the trailheads it does publish.

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

  • Prescribed
    Front Country Broadcast Rx

    25 mi from the trail midpoint

  • Prescribed
    Harris Park Broadcast Rx

    34 mi from the trail midpoint · 390 acres

  • Prescribed
    Salt Cabin Broadcast Rx

    46 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

Guidebooks for Indian Peaks Wilderness and Colorado

We earn a small commission if you buy through these links. It does not change what we list.

  • A Fly Fishing Guide to Colorado's Indian Peaks Wilderness Area
    Steven B. Schweitzer and Michael Kruise, 2024
    Find at Bookshop.org
  • Best Hikes Colorado's Indian Peaks Wilderness
    Kent Dannen, 2017
    Find at Bookshop.org
  • Hiking Colorado's Western Slope
    Bill Haggerty, 2025
    Find at Bookshop.org

Titles come from Open Library's catalog, matched by subject heading or by title.

Reference

Questions people ask

How long is the Diamond Lake Trail?

The Forest Service records 7.6 miles under this name in Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests, the sum of 6 segments.

Source: Forest Service trail layer

What is allowed on the Diamond Lake Trail?

Hiking, 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 Diamond Lake Trail start?

The line begins at 39.9910° N, 105.6423° W and ends at 39.9910° N, 105.6423° W. No Forest Service trailhead is recorded within a third of a mile of it. The record does not say which end is the usual start.

Source: Forest Service trail layer

Is the Diamond Lake Trail in a wilderness area?

Yes. It enters Indian Peaks Wilderness. Wilderness rules ban bicycles and motor vehicles and often limit group size.

Source: Indian Peaks Wilderness

Where can I camp near the Diamond Lake Trail?

Rainbow Lakes Campground (4 mi) is within five miles of the trail. The camping section lists it with site counts and booking links.

Source: Campsite Atlas

How developed is the Diamond 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 Diamond 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 Diamond 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 Diamond Lake Trail?

The interagency feed shows 3 active incidents within 50 miles of the trail midpoint as of 2026-11-01, the nearest Front Country Broadcast Rx at 25 miles. Check the forest's closure orders before you go.

Source: Fire nearby

Source

This page is built from 6 segments named Diamond 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.