Emmaline Lake Trail
Description:
The
Emmaline Lake Trail begins near the Tom Bennett Campground at an elevation
of 8,930 feet. It climbs over 2,000 feet to Cirque and Emmaline Lakes in
about 5.9 miles. The first 3.5 miles of the trail follow Forest Road 174
to Cirque Meadow. You can drive the first half mile but there are few places
to park or turn around. The road is closed to vehicular traffic at the boundary
of the CSU Pingree Park Campus. No hunting is allowed on CSU property. The
first part of the trail travels through the area burned by the 1994 Hourglass
fire. It travels at mid slope along the ridge above the valley where the
CSU campus lies. The trail gradually climbs 860 feet to Cirque Meadow with
an average slope of 4.7%. It crosses a large pond where Fall Creek has been
dammed before it flows down into the valley. Log bridges are provided to
aid your crossing.
Once
past the pond crossing, the trail climbs through a dense forest of spruce
and lodgepole pine. The beginning of the Mummy Pass trail is located about
2.5 miles from the beginning of the Emmaline Lake Trail and travels to the
south. At Cirque Meadow the trail crosses a bridge and bends to the right
before heading toward Cirque and Emmaline lakes. This portion of the trail
climbs 1200 feet to the lakes, averaging about 15% slope. The Emmaline Lake
Travel Zone begins at the boundary of the Comanche Peak Wilderness. Camping
is allowed in designated sites only. There are signs pointing the way to
the camp sites. Livestock are not permitted in the Emmaline Lake Travel
Zone at anytime. This is an environmentally sensitive area and the trail
would be extremely difficult for horses to negotiate.
From
Cirque Meadow, most of the trail travels through a dense spruce forest.
The trail can be quite rocky and has a lot of exposed roots in the trail.
It travels through a number of wet, boggy areas where numerous log bridges
are provided. Within a mile and a half of the lakes the trail climbs through
a rocky area. The trail is steep here and can be difficult to follow as
numerous alternative paths have been made. It generally follows the creek
drainage up to the lakes. Look for rock cairns to guide you. From Cirque
Lake it is only a few hundred yards up over the rocks to Emmaline Lake.
The area around the lakes is limited to day use only.
Features:
| Length: |
5.9 miles (9.5 kilometers) |
| Elevation Range: |
8,930' - 10,988' |
| Elevation change: |
2,058 feet |
| Season: |
July 1 - Sept 15 |
| Difficulty: |
Moderate |
| Use: |
High |
| USGS maps: |
Pingree Park, Comanche Peak |
| Trailheads: |
Emmaline Lake |
| Restrictions: |
Pets must be on a leash, no livestock
allowed in the Emmaline Lake Travel Zone, camping in designated sites
only |
| Suitable for mountain bikes: |
Yes (up to the wilderness boundary) |
| Suitable for horses: |
Yes (up to the wilderness boundary) |
Vicinity
Map
Altitude
Profile
Other Nearby Resources:
Directions:
Take Highway 287 north from Fort Collins to Laporte.
Continue on Highway 287 to Highway 14. Travel west on 14 for 24 miles
to the Pinegree Park Road. Turn left and travel 15.5 miles to the Tom
Bennett Campground. The trailhead is just west of the campground.
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