ice lakes trail

I like several things about this trail. First, it is easy to access off the highway. Less than 2 miles from Silverton, the 4.4 mile dirt road to the trail head is easy and in great shape. There aren't too many hikes in the San Juans that offer this kind of high altitude scenery with such easy access. There are also plenty of campsites all along the road. I typically wouldn't expect to be able to hike this trail in late October like we did, but the weather has been unusually warm and dry. The best part about hiking it so late in the season was the small number of other hikers we ran into.....just 7. The only downside was that the wildflowers had retired for the winter, but I'll gladly take no crowds over no wildflowers. The trail is in good shape and has the appropriate amount of switchbacks to make the elevation gain not seem so taxing. You will hike along a stream much of the way with a nice waterfall toward the beginning. The trail will take you in and out of alpine forests and meadows as you make your way to the lakes. You will also pass an old dilapidated mining structure along the way. The surrounding mountain views are spectacular all the way up and down. And then there is the beautiful turquoise blue lake at the top. I also love trails that are downhill the entire way back! This is one of my favorite hikes in the off season.

The Ice Lake trail is great! Short distance with a nice gradient which is perfect for a good workout, however this trail is heavily traveled, so if you are looking for a quiet time, there are many other excellent hikes in the area. The parking situation at the trail head is ridiculous with the number of users. People are parking in the in nearby meadows, and destroying the area.

This climb (and it definitely is that!) is worth it. I am not an athlete, not an experienced hiker, and it was tough and I had to take breaks but it was very worth it! The very last part after you cross the meadow up the rocky part is the hardest, and there is this really steep rocky part, but when you come over that you have just a few hundred yards/meters to the lake. I would do this again in a heartbeat it's so beautiful! Even the hike up is beautiful, but the lake is just unreal. If you are feeling really spunky, keep going to island lake (we didn't make it, but someday!) If going late in the season like we did, make sure you layer up. You will be hot on the climb, but if you don't want to freeze at the lake you're going to want those extra layers. Water and Sunscreen are a MUST! We started at the trail head at 9:15 and were at the top by noon.

OK, my review is taken from the perspective of a 45-year+ New England hiker, White Mountains, Green's, Adirondaks. The views along most ANY trail in the San Juans are going to blow everything away. That simple. I love the summit of Mt. Washington as much as anyone, but the San Juans are different. Now, some advice. I've now done a lot of western trails in Colorado, the Tetons, Yellowstone, etc, and for the most part, the technical aspects of the hikes are much easier out west. The trails are maintained, and smooth. No rocks, roots, 4-foot drop-offs, slimy rocks to descend, etc. So, in theory, you can move a lot faster. (This changes on some of the scramble summit cones, but those are more rock clubbing, to a degree, than hiking). HOWEVER, you gotta be aware of a couple of things. Sunscreen, yes. Don't be casual, as you WILL burn, and fast. That's the least of your worries, though. Water. Think you have enough? Double it, and force yourself to drink, thirsty or not, as the sun, the lack of humidity, and the altitude will suck the water right out of you. You think you're fine, and then you're dizzy. Altitude. The trailheads here start at the high point on the east coast. Everything's rosy, with a little huffing and puffing until you get to about 10,000 feet. Then you notice it. At about 11,500 feet, all of a sudden, if you're not acclimated, oxygen sort of goes away. So, between that and the 12,300 or so that most of these lakes are at, I needed to stop very frequently to catch my breath. I could't work hard enough for my legs to get tired, there was simply no air. We did this the second day we were in town, and suffered. made it, but man… Try to hit this or other high-point trails after you've been around for a week. If you don't have the time, go for it, but make sure you realize that the last half-mile or so will be S L O W. The end result is so worth it you won't believe it… This and some of the other trails out of Telluride, which all meet around the same point, should be world-destination hikes. That good.

We completed this hike in early August and were completely blown away by the beauty of the surrounding mountains, wildflowers, and Ice Lake itself. We didn't get started until almost 10am and caught some rain and hail (in August!) on the way down, so I'd recommend starting early! We did the Blue Lakes Trail the day before, which is equally beautiful.. If you enjoyed the Ice Lakes Trail, try this one too.. It is about the same length (to Lower Blue Lake I believe), and Blue Lakes has a bit less elevation change if I'm remembering correctly. We would love to come back here again sometime (with better weather)!

The Ice Lake hike is a perfect way to celebrate a 65th birthday. It's challenging enough that, when you're done, you feel like you really accomplished something. The beauty along the way features dense forest, waterfalls, high-mountain basins, wildflowers, and amazing panoramic views. We met neat people from France, England, Germany, and even people from as far as Durango! T'was a very special day...

We were overwhelmed by the fantastic wildflowers on this hike! They were truly amazing. The Upper Ice Lake is lovely, but it was the wildflowers that we enjoyed the most. The trial is 7 miles round trip and is very rocky and steep towards the end, but well worth it! There were quite a few people on the trail the day we went.

I went on a hike alone in the middle of the week and really loved it. I met a few really cool friends there too. Went my wife joined me during my trip at the end of the week, I took her back to hike the trail again! So, yes, I hiked this trail twice in a week but I will do again in a heart beat. My suggestion is don't stop at the lower basin. Keep going, go to the upper basin ice lake, and then make sure to go another 15-20 minutes to the island lake. They are totally worth the effort. I am not even going to attempt to describe the god sent scenery. You have to see it yourself to understand. Pictures or words can't do any justification.

This trail was a truly wonderful experience. We parked at the main trailhead near the campground. We were huffing and puffing before we reached the Lower Basin. Decided to just hangout in the lower basin for an hour and then head back down. Lower basin is beautiful. We didn't quite have the energy to climb up to upper ice lake and clouds were brewing.

We were not in shape when we did this hike, but I do not have any regrets. The views along the hike were amazing and all your hard work is paid off when you reach Upper Ice Lake Basin. Unfortunately, I got altitude sickness and suffered from dehydration, but that is my fault. For not being in shape and not use to such a strenuous hike, we made it round trip in 5 hours. We stayed at the lake for about 1/2 hour, so I am sure we pushed our selves a little too hard.We also drove our sedan to the recommended trail head that cut off about a 500 elevation gain. We had to off road and it can be done as along as you know how to maneuver around "boulders." The waterfall you cross is dangerous so I would proceed with caution. I would recommend taking it slower if you are not use to high elevation and taking a hiking stick for the way down... Those Rockies sure can be rocky! . We went in late June 2012 (sorry late on updating). I will never forget this hike and recommend doing it.

Take your time, enjoy the views. Not to strenuous but is long so get an early start. Take lunch and plenty of water. It is also a great trail for backpacking as there are plenty of spots along the way and at the lake (either upper or lower ice lake or island lake which is further along) to camp. Have done it several times and it can get really cold at night so take your equipment!

It's a long steep hike, especially as you get towards the top. The lake is beautiful and peaceful. The wildflowers and waterfalls are amazing. The only bad thing were the flies. We went in mid July so I don't know if they are there all summer and fall, but they were so annoying and they bite. I didn't get any bites, but my husband got around six. It took us about 2 hrs to get to the top, but we passed lots of people and they were still coming up after we spent 1/2 hr eating lunch at the top and we were headed down. Your fitness level will determine how long it takes.

Ice Lakes is beautiful and the hike to and from includes breathtaking scenery and experiences, from mountain vistas to flowers and crystal clear streams (snow year-round as well!) Guidebooks provide all the needed details. You just need a good pair of hiking boots and the will to climb on a well maintained trail to enjoy some of the most beautiful back-country the Western slope has to offer. Head out early in the summer mounths to avoid afternoon thunderstorms that are common. Highly recommended.

My husband & I did the trek up to Upper Ice Lake on Sunday. We're both in great shape but this hike was pretty strenuous even for us. The reviews we found online said the average hiker needs about 3.5 hours to do it but we managed it in 2.5. The hike back from Upper Ice Lake is pretty easy as it's almost entirely a descent --the hike to Upper Ice Lake is the strenuous part. Lots of steep switchbacks, a bit of scrambling over a rocky area with loose rocks after passing Lower Ice Lake, but the entire hike is absolutely beautiful and worth it!! There are beautiful views no matter where you look --Aspen & Evergreen trees, wildflowers (even in September), waterfalls, even an abandoned cabin! When we went, it started to get really cold, windy, rainy, and started hailing during the last leg of the trip. We trekked on anyway & were glad we did! The lake is such a stunning color, especially when the sun comes out over it!This is a dog friendly hike. We encountered many hikers who let their dogs run off the leash. I noticed a lot of the dogs heading back were wet from playing in the waterfalls & lakes. =D

My daughters and I hiked Ice Lakes Trail yesterday, Saturday, June 13. We hiked the trail almost the same day five years ago, and this year there was so much snow the higher we got, that we almost didn't make it to the upper lake. We were fortunate enough to be behind two gentlemen who had gear in which they made tracks across ice packs that we could follow. They were obviously the first to make it to the top this year and made it possible for us to be next! On the way up the mountain, we were shedding clothing, but shortly after we headed down, it started to snow pretty heavily and the lower we got, the more wet the snow became. Roaring thunder and snow made for a great climb down. Luckily we had rain gear and it ended up being a beautiful day! We love your mountain and will continue to climb it every chance we get!