What if I told you that the most beautiful lake in all of Colorado is a doable day hike?  Because Island Lake Colorado is an amazing site and arguably one of the most beautiful alpine lakes.

Now, don’t underestimate this shorter distance.  It’s a tough hike!  You will hike consistently uphill for a solid 3.5 miles until you reach the lake.  And the steep downhill can be tough on the knees.

But this hike is beautiful from the very first step and worth every thin-aired gasp!  So let’s dive into the details and get you on the trail.  

Important Links

AllTrails Link 

San Juan National Forest website

Parking Lot Location (Google Map Link)

Hiking Journal – Never Forget the Details of Your Favorite Hikes Again!

Location

Island Lake is located just off of the Million Dollar Highway, between Ouray and Silverton, Colorado.  Obviously, you will need to park at the trailhead and then hike to get to this beautiful place.  But is it possible to take a day trip here?

The trailhead is located 1 hour south of Ridgway, 1.5 hours north of Durango, and about 3 hours south of Grand Junction.  So you will want to be within the area of these cities if you are looking to take a day trip to hike to Island Lake Colorado.  

Fees/Permits

Good News!  In a world of ever growing prices, there is no fee to hike to Island Lake Colorado.  You simply have to be able to get a parking spot at the trailhead.  So let’s discuss how to be successful doing that.  

Parking 

Hiking to Island Lake Colorado can prove to be a bit challenging if you don’t arrive at the parking lot early in the morning.  I highly recommend arriving by 7:30am at the latest.  This is a very popular trail in San Juan National Forest, and the small lot fills up pretty quickly.

To find the parking lot, you will have to drive on the Million Dollar Highway (Highway 550) before turning onto Co Rd 7/Forest Rd 585, which is a dirt road.  You will be on this dirt road for 4 miles before reaching the parking lot.  In short, you will want to park here.  

This dirt road was easy to navigate and pretty flat.  This is not some crazy off-roading challenge, but I would be aware of any rain recently.   

Trail Stats

• About 7 miles out-and-back
• 2,600 feet of elevation gain
• Difficult

Estimated Time to Hike

One last thing before we get into the details of the hike.  About how long will this hike take you?

Well, it took us 8 hours, but we hiked to Island Lake, had lunch there, then looped over and visited Ice Lake, where we sat and enjoyed the blue water.  Realistically, we were probably hiking for 6 hours.

+Our Itinerary

Just for a quick reference, this was our itinerary for the day

• 6:20am Arrive at Parking Lot
• 6:40am Begin Hike
• 10:15am arrive at Island Lake
• 10:30am eat lunch and take photos
• 11:40am arrive at Ice Lake
• 12:30pm leave Ice Lake and begin hike back to car
• 2:30pm arrive back at car
• 3:00pm have well-deserved pizza and beer at Golden Block Brewery

Average Time to Hike to Island Lake Colorado

But from other people’s hikes on AllTrails, the average hiking time seems to be between 5 hours and 8 hours.  And there were a couple speedy hikers who completed the hike in 3-4 hours, but the average seemed to be longer than that.  

The Ascent

Alright, so you’ve reached the trailhead, you’ve parked and laced up your boots.  You’re ready to begin your hike to Island Lake Colorado.  The trailhead is very plainly labeled at the back of the parking lot and there is a sign-in sheet to sign.

The trail begins at 9,800 feet of elevation and slowly starts you hiking up through grasses and wild flowers and a few sections of woods.  You’ll eventually come to Clear Creek Falls, which might be rushing in the spring/early summer.  There is a creek crossing here, but we had no issue crossing on logs/rocks.

Right around Mile 1 is where the hike starts to get steep and it doesn’t stop until you reach the lake.  

The trail is very easy to follow, as it’s a well-worn hiking trail.  Depending on the snow melt and water levels, there was a stream that we had to cross.  We switched shoes at this point and crossed the water in our sandals to avoid having to worry about our feet getting wet.  

Split in the Trail

As you continue to climb higher and higher into the beautiful wilderness, you’ll come to a split in the trail.  This split is right around Mile 2.2 of your ascent.  If you want to hike to Island Lake Colorado ONLY, you’ll want to turn right here.  

This way is steep and dusty, definitely a challenge.  

If you want to see Ice Lake first and then continue onto Island Lake, you’ll want to stay to the left.  I would say that this way is a little bit easier, but it will add some miles to your hike.  The choice is yours.  

Either way is steep and filled with rocky terrain that only gets steeper and steeper.  Don’t be afraid to take breaks and drink plenty of water.  

At the Lake

If you choose to take the more direct route (turning Right), you’ll have just over a mile left, and this mile is quite steep.  The trail is easy to follow, but just be prepared to take lots of breaks.

Finally, at nearly 3.5 miles, you’ll be standing at the banks of Colorado’s most beautiful lake, Island Lake Colorado.  AND at the height of 12,500 feet!

I highly recommend getting up above the water’s edge to appreciate how stunning and teal blue the water is.  And the island in the middle (hence the name) is what makes this alpine lake so unique.

Sit, have a snack, and enjoy the view!  You worked hard to get here, don’t just turn right around and leave.  Spend some time reveling in the grandeur of Island Lake.

Decision Time

You now have a decision to make.  Do you want to continue to Ice Lake (another stunning alpine lake) or do you want to head back down the way you came?  

If you have the time and there isn’t a storm rolling in, I highly recommend continuing onward to Ice Lake.  This lake is also a stunning blue and worth every second of the additional 0.6 miles.  

If you choose to hike on to Ice Lake, you’ll have a thin trail on the side of a cliff to follow.  And another stream to cross to get there.  But the blue waters are worth it.  Once you are done at Ice Lake, you’ll just follow the trail back down until you reach the way you came.   

The Descent

Once you decide to leave Island Lake Colorado (or bad weather is approaching), you’ll simply go back down the way you came.  The trail is just as steep going down, but it’s a great view!

Eventually the parking lot will come into view and you’ll keep following the well-worn path.  You’ll cross the creek at Clear Creek Falls again and then finish in the same grassy field you started on.    

Our Hike

After waking up at 4:30am, hiking for nearly 9 miles and for 8 hours, I can confidently say this is the best hiking trail I have ever done (yet!).  The stunning water of both Ice Lake and Island Lake Colorado left me speechless.  

The trail was hard, but with every corner I turned the trail and the surrounding area just got more and more beautiful!  And because we hiked this on the last day of June, the wildflowers were absolutely alluring.  

 We each went through about 3L of water and were glad to have PB&Js, crackers, and granola bars for our hike.  Sunscreen and all necessary sun protection was used on this trail and neither of us got sunburnt.  

Nearby Camping

If you’re looking for nearby camping that is affordable, I can’t recommend camping in Ridgway State Park enough.  About an hour from the trailhead, this great state park makes for an affordable homebase while hiking in San Juan National Forest.  

It also is just 30 minutes from Ouray, the famous mountain town that begins the Million Dollar Highway.  And for $28 – $41 (depending on your campsite) a night, you can’t beat this price in this area.

After the Hike

After this awesome hike, I highly recommend that you continue into Silverton and enjoy this adorable mountain town.  There are dozens of restaurants and shops to experience here, but we loved Golden Block Brewery.  The pizza and drinks were both good and the perfect way to end an amazing hike.  

Conclusion

Hiking to Island Lake Colorado proved to be challenging but so incredibly worth it!  This hike has become my favorite trail in Colorado (so far) and I don’t know if it will get topped any time soon.  

If you are looking for an amazing adventure and an incredible display of Colorado’s beauty, you can’t miss hiking to Island Lake Colorado!

As always, if you have any questions feel free to email me at averagewildexperience@gmail.com and I’ll do my best to help your planning process.

-Happy Hiking!