Pike and San Isabel National Forests · Colorado · Trail 1417

Waterdog Lakes

Waterdog Lakes Trail is a 1.6 miles trail in Pike and San Isabel National Forests, Colorado. The Forest Service rates it trail class 3, developed. It is open to hiking, horse and pack stock and mountain biking.

Trail conditions, closures and hazards are not tracked here. The Pike and San Isabel 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 end38.5316, -106.3237 · Directions ↗
Other end38.5376, -106.3445 · 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 2 segments.

The trail

Length1.6 miles, of which 1.6 miles evaluated accessible
Trail class3, developed
Typeland trail
Surfacenative material
Typical grade20-30 percent
Typical tread width36-48 inches
Motor vehiclesClosed to all motorized use year-round
AccessibilityAt least one segment meets Forest Service accessibility guidelines
Trail numbers1417
ForestPike and San Isabel National Forests (unit 0212)
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.

Allowed uses

HikingAllowed year-round
Horse and pack stockAllowed year-round
Mountain bikingAllowed 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.

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.

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. The recreation page link goes to the Forest Service site, which may redirect to the forest's recreation index.

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

  • Wildfire
    Willow

    49 mi from the trail midpoint · 7,389 acres · 80% contained

Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge. Closure orders are on the forest's official page.

Explore

Reference

Questions people ask

How long is the Waterdog Lakes Trail?

1.6 miles, the sum of the 2 segments the Forest Service records under this name in Pike and San Isabel National Forests. 1.6 miles of that are evaluated as accessible.

Source: Forest Service trail layer

What is allowed on the Waterdog Lakes Trail?

hiking, horse and pack stock and mountain biking. The trail is closed to motor vehicles year-round.

Source: Forest Service trail layer

Where does the Waterdog Lakes Trail start?

The line begins at 38.5316, -106.3237 and ends at 38.5376, -106.3445. 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 Waterdog Lakes Trail in a wilderness area?

No. The trail line does not cross any polygon in the National Wilderness Preservation System layer.

Source: Wilderness Connect

Where can I camp near the Waterdog Lakes Trail?

Monarch Park (1 mi) and Snowblind (4 mi) are within five miles of the trail. Site counts and booking links are on Campsite Atlas.

Source: Campsite Atlas

How developed is the Waterdog Lakes Trail?

Trail class 3, which the Forest Service describes as 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 Waterdog Lakes Trail?

The typical grade is 20-30 percent. The typical tread is 36-48 inches wide.

Source: Forest Service trail layer

Is the Waterdog Lakes Trail accessible?

The Forest Service has evaluated 1.6 miles of this trail as meeting its accessibility guidelines. The surface is native material.

Source: Forest Service trail layer

Who manages the Waterdog Lakes Trail?

Pike and San Isabel National Forests, Forest Service unit 0212. The trail is in Colorado.

Source: Pike and San Isabel National Forests official page

Is there a fire near the Waterdog Lakes Trail?

1 active incident within 50 miles of the trail midpoint as of 2026-09-17, the nearest Willow at 49 miles. Check the forest's closure orders before you go.

Source: Fire nearby

Source

This page is built from 2 segments named WATERDOG LAKES in the Forest Service TrailNFS_Publish layer, administrative unit 0212. 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 September 17, 2026. The methodology page explains how segments become trails.