Arapaho-Roosevelt National Forest
Arapaho Lakes Trail #818

East Portal Trailhead to: (one way)

• Forest Lakes Trail: 1.2 miles
• Heart Lake: 4.2 miles
• Rogers Pass: 4.6 miles
• Crater Lake: 3 miles
• Arapaho Lakes: 3.5 miles
• Forest Lakes: 4 miles
Forest Lakes Trailhead to:

• Forest Lakes: .25 miles
• Arapaho Lakes: 2 miles

Elevations:

• East Portal Trailhead: 9,211'
• Arapaho Lakes: 11,100'
• Forest Lakes: 10,650' and 10,800'
• Forest Lakes Trailhead: 11,020'

Moderate use June through October (open year round)

Rating: More difficult

USGS Maps: East Portal and Empire Quads

Trailhead Location: Traveling south from Nederland on Highway 119, go west out of Rollinsville on gravel County Road 16 (often called Moffat Road or Rollins Pass Road). Drive seven miles to the end of County Road 16 (County Road 16 ends at a T-junction). Then go left one mile to parking area at the East Portal Trailhead or, if you have a high-clearance vehicle, go right and drive an additional 11 miles on a native surface road to park at the Forest Lakes Trailhead.

At the East Portal, a newly constructed trail leads from the parking area around the north side of the train tunnel. This half-mile re-route of the South Boulder Creek Trail addresses safety and private property issues at the mouth of the Moffat Train Tunnel. The re-routed section re-joins the old South Boulder Creek Trail in the first meadow, where planks have been laid over the muddy section of trail. The Forest Lakes Trail intersection is well-marked where it forks to the north in the second open meadow. From here, the Forest Lakes Trail cuts across the front of a steep ridge on an old abandoned jeep trail for about a half-mile before it meets up with Arapaho Creek. The creek crossings do not have bridges and can be difficult to negotiate in early summer when the snow-melt runoff is high. The trail follows the creek north/northwest on a gentle grade for a mile. A cairn marks the turn-off for Forest Lakes Trail where the Arapaho Lakes Trail #818 turns to the left (west) and crosses the creek. A mile and a half up the Forest Lakes Trail from where it leaves the South Boulder Creek Trail, the Arapaho Lakes Trail forks west. It follows the steep stream tributary for one mile to Arapaho Lakes.