Arapaho-Roosevelt National Forest
James Peak Lake Trail #804

James Peak Lake Trailhead to (one way):

• James Peak Lake: 1.1 miles
• Little Echo Lake: .9 miles
• Continental Divide: 3.9 miles
• Rogers Pass: 5 miles

Elevations:

• Trailhead: 11,600'
• Trail intersection:11,100'
• Continental Divide: 12,400'
• Rogers Pass: 11,860'
• James Peak: 13,294'

Season of heaviest use: June through October (open year round)

Use: Moderate

Rating: More Difficult

USGS Maps: Empire Quad

Trailhead Location: Approximately four miles south of Nederland, head west on gravel County Road (CR) 16 (Moffat Road, and Rollins Pass Road) out of the town of Rollinsville. About five miles out, at the townsite of Tolland, take a left onto CR 4N. Follow CR 4N 3.5 miles, and take a right onto National Forest System Road (NFSR) 353 (this is a rough road - we highly recommend only high-clearance vehicles with 4-wheel drive). Follow NFSR 353 west for 3.3 miles to the James Peak Lake Trailhead.

The James Peak Lake Trailhead lies above the timberline, at 11,600' elevation. From the trailhead, the James Peak Lake Trail drops 500' in a half-mile to James Peak Lake, set in the basin below the steep eastern face of James Peak. The trail follows the remains of a steep old wagon road across the scree. At the bottom of the slope, near where you'll enter the trees, the Ute Trail forks to the right (north). To get to James Peak Lake, follow the trail along the wagon road, stay left (west) for another .7 mile up the valley.

Following the Ute Trail from its intersection with the James Peak Lake Trail, you'll cross the valley, then you'll cross Mammoth Creek and climb about half a mile up to Little Echo Lake (elevation 11,185') at treeline. From here, the Ute Trail continues northward, slanting up the side of the scree ridge before taking a sharp turn to the west as it gains the ridgetop. On the ridge, the Ute Trail joins a closed two-track road from Nebraska Hill. In three miles from Echo Lake, the trail reaches the Continental Divide and meets the Continental Divide Trail. At this point, you can leave the Ute Trail to hike left (south) up the ridge to James Peak. Though this is the Continental Divide Trail, this section is more of a route than a developed trail. The Ute Trail (and northbound Continental Divide Trail) swings back northward to follow the Continental Divide for about another mile to Roger's Pass (11,860 feet).

From here you can pick up the South Boulder Creek Trail #900, which drops into the steep cirque basins of the South Boulder Creek Drainage. The Continental Divide Trail continues north, past Rollins Pass, to drop off the west side of the Continental Divide at Devil's Thumb Pass. Most of the James Peak Lake and Ute Trails are above treeline, offering unsurpassed views of the jagged peaks of the Continental Divide.