Arapaho-Roosevelt National Forest
Jasper Lake via Devil's Thumb Trail #902

Jasper Lake is about 4.5 miles from the Hessie Trailhead. This trail is heavily used June through October (open year round) and is rated as More Difficult.

Elevations:

• Hessie Trailhead: 9,000'
• Jasper Lake: 10,814'

USGS Maps: East Portal and Nederland Quads

Trailhead Location: From Peak-to-Peak Highway (Colorado Highway 119/72), turn west on County Road 130, located just south of the center of the town of Nederland, and follow signs for Eldora Ski Resort and the town of Eldora. At the fork in the road, keep right, through the town of Eldora. At the end of town, continue westward as the pavement ends, following to the left at the next road fork for Hessie Trailhead. A right at this fork and another four miles would bring you to the 4th of July Trailhead. (Devil's Thumb Trail is accessible from the 4th of July Trailhead, however, the more direct route is through Hessie.)

Both of these trailheads see extremely high use, especially on weekends, and parking is limited. Plan to arrive early and watch for signs along the road indicating legal parking spots.

A stretch of the road from County Road 130 to the Hessie Trailhead is a cobblestone creek bed. It carries water year round, and runs heavily in the early summer. It is passable by 2-wheel drive vehicles; however, high clearance is recommended. There is a parallel trail so hikers can bypass the water.

If you choose to skip driving through the water and park on the 4th of July Road, take the quarter mile long Columbine Trail, which starts at the bottom of the first hill, just before the water. It is a recently constructed trail that bypasses the flooded part of the road and comes in at the Hessie Townsite. From the Townsite, the road continues rough and with large mud puddles another quarter mile to the Hessie Trailhead. There is very little parking at the trailhead itself.

From the trailhead, cross the footbridge and take the Devil's Thumb Trail #902, which climbs steeply for about a half-mile on an old road. The Devil's Thumb Bypass turns right (north) in 0.8 miles, just before the bridge. Either the Devil's Thumb Trail or the Devil's Thumb Bypass will get you to the same destination - the distance is about the same either way. The bypass trail crosses open meadows to the north of the creek. The main trail follows an old road along the south side of the creek, staying right past junctions with the Lost Lake Trail #813, King Lake Trail #901 and Woodland Lake Trail #811.

It is 1.1 miles from the trailhead to the Lost Lake Trail junction, which is right at the top of a hill. From there it is a flat 0.2 miles to the King Lake Trail junction. The Devil's Thumb Trail enters the Indian Peaks Wilderness just beyond the King Lake Trail junction. It continues fairly level another one mile to the Woodland Lake Trail junction. In places, the creek has taken over the trail, so hikers have to follow social paths along the bank. The Devil's Thumb Bypass rejoins 200 yards beyond the Woodland Lake Trail.

After the trails rejoin, the old road begins to climb again. This stretch can be very wet, especially early in the summer, so some bypass social trails have developed. In 1.5 miles, the Diamond Lake Trail #975 forks right (north). It leads 3.7 miles up over the ridge past Diamond Lake to connect to the Arapaho Pass Trail 1.2 miles from the trailhead. From the Diamond Lake Trail junction it is another 0.6 miles to Jasper Lake.

Jasper Lake is surrounded on three sides with trees and a steep ridgeline to the north. It is a very popular camping area with limited, designated sites. There is no bridge across the spillway, but there is often a plank across a hundred yards downstream. The trail continues another mile to Devil's Thumb Lake, and a mile beyond that to the Continental Divide, see Devil's Thumb Trail. To access Jasper Lake from 4th of July Trailhead, follow the Arapaho Pass Trail #904 for 1.2 miles, take the Diamond Lake Trail #975, 3.7 miles more past Diamond Lake and over the ridge to hit the Devil's Thumb Trail 0.6 miles east of Jasper Lake. Turn right (west) to reach the lake.

Backcountry camping in the Indian Peaks Wilderness is by permit only. Permits are required for camping along this trail June 1 to September 15. Contact the Boulder Ranger District (303-541-2500) for information.