Lost Lake Trail, Nederland, Colorado

Lost Lake Trail in Nederland Colorado is in the Indian Peak Wilderness area. This is another solo hike I ventured on in early Aug of 2020. Lost Lake Trail is an out and back trail which my Fitbit clocked at 4.5 miles from where I parked. I will say that once again, the name of the game was continuously up most of the way to the lake. Regardless, I really enjoyed this hike as it was not very long and there was a lot to see.

Location

Lost Lake Trail in Colorado is near Nederland. From Boulder you will take Boulder Canyon Drive towards Nederland. Unfortunately, there was a lot of road work so it took longer than planned. You will pass Nederland and then pass through the small town of Eldora. Shortly after Eldora you will find cars parked along the road. Access to the trailhead is from here.

Parking

You will more than likely have to park along the road and walk the extra 3/4 of a mile to the Hessie Trailhead. There is a 4 x 4 road but was covered with water and I did not feel brave enough to drive my Jeep through it. I did notice 3 high clearance vehicles parked at Hessie Trailhead when I arrived there but not sure if they drove the road recently.

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You can pick up the trail from the road to the Hessie Trailhead just before you reach the signs by the Jeep roads. The Hessie Trailhead is where you will access the trail to Lost Lake and also to other trails as well. You will pass through trees on a fairly narrow and rocky trail at times and also pass by a marshy type pond.

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Hessie Townsite

Once on the trail towards Hessie Trailhead you will pass Hessie Townsite. Hessie was a mining town located here in the late 1890’s and like many it was abandoned a few years later. There is a sign marking the spot, I did not see any buildings, but it looked like there may be a cabin or two back in the woods. This is private property so I did not explore the area.

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Trailhead

After the townsite of Hessie you will come across a bridge and once you cross the bridge you will find the trailhead. The trail is well marked so follow the signs for Lost Lake Trail.

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Up the Trail

As I mentioned earlier, you will be walking up. The first mile has some steep inclines but the path is easy to follow although there are some loose rocks. The scenery is great so that makes up for all the uphill walking!

First Waterfall/Creek

The first waterfall you will hear before you see it, and just see a portion of it to the left. Consequently, I walked out on a large rock and followed it down just a bit to get a good view. Not sure if I should call this a creek or waterfall as it wasn’t a large drop but seemed more impressive than a creek!

Crossing the Creek

For about a quarter of a mile the path levels off a bit. You will begin walking more through the forest and again will hear the water before seeing it. You will come to a bridge and also signs for the different trails. Follow Lost Lake Trail over the bridge. You will be crossing over a rushing creek cascading down the mountain. I wasn’t expecting this so I thought it was pretty cool. After this it’s back to uphill walking although not as steep as earlier.

Second Waterfall

The second waterfall is also to the right and falls to the creek below. Just after this, you will find a sign that points to the left for Lost Lake . The trail crosses a creek on another wooden bridge and then you will follow the trail up towards the lake.

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Lost Lake

Right before you see the lake you will see a sign for camping. Continue straight on the trail and you will see the lake. I thought the lake was very beautiful and peaceful. It was mid morning and there were few people here. The trail goes around the lake and in addition there are many spots on the trail where you can walk the short distance down to the lake shore. Although I did not walk around the entire lake, I found a large rock and sat there for awhile to rest and enjoy the view and had snacks and electrolytes. My Fitbit clocked this at 2.25 miles from where I parked my car to the big rock.

Back Down the Trail

Following the trail back was uneventful but very enjoyable. I again enjoyed the waterfalls and crossing the creeks. The views were just as stunning on the way back down.

Conclusion

This was my first hike in the Indian Peaks Wilderness and I am hoping to do more in this area in the future. I thought the Lost Lake Trail was another great Colorado hike and Nederland wasn’t very far from Boulder where I was based at. I thought this was a fun trail and loved the creek, waterfalls and wood bridges along the trail.

Resources

Colorado Chelsea, Hikes and Travels in Colorado and Beyond is a great resource for hiking in Colorado. Chelsea lives in Colorado and has blogged about her many different hikes giving great information on each.

All Trails. All trails is a hiking App that gives information on most every hike known. You can use this app to get an idea of where or what type of hike you want to do. Directions are available as well.

You Can Click on the Following for More of My Colorado Travels:

Hikes

Odessa and Fern Lakes Aug 2020

Flatiron Vista Aug 2020

Boulder Falls Aug 2020

Rattlesnake Gulch July 2020

Mt Sanitas July 2020

Emerald Lake Aug 2019

Deer Mountain Aug 2019

Hike to Sky Pond Aug 2018

St Mary’s Glacier Hike Aug 2017

Hike To Forgotten Valley 2016

Road Trips

Our Rocky Mountain National Park Trip Aug 2018

My Favorite Colorado Road Trip Aug 2016

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