Gem Lake Trail

The hike itself was incredible! Lovely views almost the whole way to Gem Lake. However, for those who have less time, or don’t like intense hikes, the view about halfway up to the lake is the highlight. The lake really isn’t worth it unless you plan on climbing the boulders around it. Otherwise it’s just a little lake with chipmunks running around begging for food lol. The hike is good though but with the high elevation it’s easy to get winded.

My nephews are not hikers and I’ll be honest, they were not happy about coming along, but the promise of «bouldering» got them in the car. Upon immediately seeing that there were large rocks on which to play, their mood quickly changed. This hike was so beautiful: mountain wildflowers, twinkling aspens, big boulders, a gentle stream, stunning views. It had everything you would want from a Colorado hike. The 1.7 miles to gem lake was the perfect distance both for my inexperienced nephews and the fit adults. We had a blast climbing the sticky rocks and admiring the gorgeous environment. We had a lovely picnic lunch at the lake and spent some time climbing there as well. I recommend this for adults and children alike. Despite the relatively short mileage, it is still a great workout.

This is a great hike, wonderful views, gorgeous rocks, boulders all around, and then the nice little serene lake at the top. We came a bit late on a weekday so we got to enjoy the lake to ourselves for a good 20 minutes, unless you count all the little chipmunks that were very curious about us, so adorable. My friend whose a dude was a bit afraid they would jump on him and somehow slaughter him with their tiny teeth-​they did not, but got incredibly close to us (people must be feeding them…) This is not the craziest hike but not a lazy stroll by any means, wear climbing shoes and bring plenty of water-​you are going to sweat.
*If you are afraid of heights this will be a challenge for you, take some legal drugs or drink a bloody mary beforehand or both.
*restrooms at beginning and end of trail, the one at the top is sketchy, as in you might fall down a cliff trying to get to it (I just went behind a big rock instead)
*1.7 miles up