Arapaho-Roosevelt National Forest
Woodland Lake Trail #811

Hessie Trailhead to (one way):

• Woodland Lake: 4.3 miles
• Skyscraper Reservoir: 4.8 miles
Elevations:

• Hessie Trailhead: 9,000'
• Woodland Lake: 10,972'
• Skyscraper Reservoir: 11,221'

Season of Most Use: June through October (open year round)

Actual Use: Moderate to heavy

Rating: More difficult

USGS Maps: East Portal and Nederland Quads

Trailhead Location: From 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 and go through the town of Eldora. At the end of town, continue westward after the pavement ends, going to the left at the next fork in the road to Hessie Trailhead. A right at this fork and another four miles would bring you to the 4th of July Trailhead. This Trailhead sees 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 part cobblestone creek bed. It carries water year round and runs heavily in the late spring and early summer. It is passable by 2-wheel drive vehicles, however, high clearance is highly recommended. There is a parallel trail so hikers can bypass the water.

The trail from Hessie to Woodland and Skyscraper Reservoir follows Jasper and Woodland Creeks through forest, riparian woodland and wet meadows into alpine tundra. Steep stretches of trail are followed by more gently sloped terrain, leading you to Woodland Lake, in a gentle valley, and Skyscraper Reservoir, set in a cirque basin below the Continental Divide. The entire Woodland Lake Trail is inside the Indian Peaks Wilderness.

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 with large mud puddles for 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, climbing steeply for about a half-mile on an old jeep trail. 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 place but the distance is a little longer if you take the bypass. 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 and King Lake Trail.

It is 1.1 miles from the trailhead to the Lost Lake Trail junction, 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 almost level for another 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. Note that the Devil's Thumb Bypass rejoins 200 yards beyond the Woodland Lake Trail, so if you take that route, you must turn left (east) to get to the Woodland Lake Trail.

Turn left (west) on the Woodland Lake Trail. It begins by climbing steeply along the creek. Then it levels out and the trail becomes a more obvious old road. You'll reach Woodland Lake in about two miles. Continue up the headwall above Woodland Lake for another half mile to Skyscraper Reservoir.

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