Devil's Lake

Distance: 14.0 miles (round trip)

Powderhorn Wilderness, Gunnison BLM and Gunnison National Forest, near Lake City in Southwest Colorado

Looking southwest towards the Uncompahgre Wilderness Area

Looking southwest towards the Uncompahgre Wilderness Area

 

Picturesque groves of mature aspen and beautiful views of the Lake Fork Valley and Uncompahgre Peak are a few of the visual delights on this scenic trail following the Devil's Creek drainage to Devil's Lake, lying beneath the western flanks of the Calf Creek Plateau.
See Trail Detail/Full Description

  • Distance: 14.0 miles (round trip) to Devil's Lake
  • Elevation: 8,480-ft. at Trailhead
    12,000-ft. at Devil's Lake
  • Elevation Gain: 3,520-ft. to Devil's Lake
  • Difficulty: strenuous
  • More Hikes in:
    Lake City / Southwest Colorado

Why Hike Devil's Lake

In the northern reaches of the San Juan Mountains lies the Powderhorn Wilderness, a rugged, glacier carved landscape encompassing large expanses of alpine tundra, spruce forests, and several alpine lakes at nearly 12,000-ft. The wilderness harbors two huge plateaus over 12,000-ft., the Cannibal Plateau and the Calf Creek Plateau, that make up the largest relatively flat expanse of alpine tundra in the lower 48 states. The plateaus were created by Tertiary volcanic deposits that are believed to be 5,000-ft. thick in some place.

This trail climbs the Devil’s Creek drainage to Devil’s Lake, which lies nestled in a tundra-clad saddle between the Cannibal and Calf Creek Plateaus. Beautiful views of the Lake Fork Valley and Uncompahgre Peak are visible from many points along the trail.

Elevation Profile

Elevation Profile Devil's Lake Trail

Best Hiking in Southwest Colorado around Ouray, Telluride and Silverton

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Trail Resources

Trail Detail/Full Description / Trail Photo Gallery / Trail Map

Basecamp(s) Information:
Lake City

Region Information:
Southwest Colorado

Other Hiking Regions in:
Colorado