Tenderfoot Lodge
	Hiking Tips

    Crystal Lakes Trail

Crystal Peak above the trail

The trail the between the Crystal Lakes is magnificent. Getting there, unfortunately, involves a couple of miles of eroded jeep trail.

Those willing to tough it out emerge into a brightly lit artic landscape. It is a land without trees, where the rocks must shield the plants from the winds of winter.

Lower Crystal Lake

The Crystal Lakes are part of the Spruce Creek drainage. The Spruce Creek trailhead on CR 800 about 1 mi. in from CO 9 provides the official 2WD access.

Beyond this trailhead a rough 4WD road proceeds up Crystal Creek. The somewhat better 4WD road up Spruce Creek can also be driven as far as the Wheeler Trail crossing and the Wheeler Trail traversed on foot to the Crystal Lakes Trail.

It is best to have a hiking map of this area as old logging roads, mining tracks, and water diversion structures abound.

Upper Crystal Lake

stonecrop

©2005