Lake Dorothy Colorado Hike Guide

Lake Dorothy is an out and back hike located in the Indian Peaks Wilderness of Colorado. The hike starts at the popular 4th of July trailhead and works up to Arapaho Pass before a short hike to the alpine lake itself. This hike is fantastic for summer wildflowers and later in the summer when snow starts to cover the high peaks above. Reservations are not currently required for this hike, but the parking area does usually fill up on almost all weekends.  

Lake Dorothy Hike Guide

Lake Dorothy Rating: ★★★★★ (5/5 Stars)

Distance: 8 Miles RT

Elevation Start: 10,121ft

High Point: 12,061ft 

Total Elevation Gain: 2,300ft

Estimated Time to Complete: 3-5 Hours RT

Difficulty: Moderate What does this mean?

Class: Class 1 –  What does this mean? 

Season: June – October – Expect snow outside of this period which prevents you from even getting to the trailhead. 

Check the Weather Forecast

Directions to Lake Dorothy

Trailhead: 4th Of July Trailhead

Getting Here: From Nederland, take Eldorado Avenue for 4.8 miles until you reach the 4th of July Road. Take a right here and continue on this for another 4 miles until the road ends. The parking area is on the right side before the road splits/ends. 

Once you are on Eldorado Avenue, the road does turn to dirt and can get a little rough in areas. However, most cars should be able to make it to the trailhead parking lot. If you have a lower clearance car, I would recommend parking in the lower section of the lot or along the road.The trail starts in the upper parking lot (right side) and towards the right of that area.  You can enter the Fourth of July trailhead into your favorite navigational device.

Parking: This parking area will get VERY busy on summer and fall weekends. However, there are ways to beat the crowds (starting super early and later in the afternoon). Please respect all road closures and signs for no parking. This area is heavily scrutinized by local residents and if hikers do not respect this area, there is a high chance that it gets more strict with use in the future. The 4th of July trailhead does have a non-plumbing bathroom. 

Fee: None

Summary

Dogs: Lake Dorothy is a dog friendly trail but since the entire hike is in a Wilderness Area, please keep your pets leashed.There will likely be several other dogs and hikers are this trail.  

Camping: There is a campground before the trailhead, Fourth of July which you can stay at. However, once you start your hike a $5 permit is required to camp in the backcountry from June 1st to September 15th: permits are issued for 19 travel zones within the Indian Peak boundaries. For information or to apply for a use permit, contact the U.S. Forest Service, Boulder Ranger District, 2140 Yarmouth Ave., 303-541-2500, or the Sulphur Ranger District, 9 Ten Mile Drive, P.O. Box 10, Granby, CO 80446, 1-970-887-4100. For recorded information, call the Indian Peaks Wilderness Information Line at 303-541-2519. 

Hike Xfactor(s): If it’s a windy day (often the case in this area) you will want to have many layers, even during summer months. I am not sure why, but every time I hike in the Indian Peaks Wilderness the winds seem to be much higher than forecasted.  

Hike Tip(s): Unless you LOVE hiking with other people, I would try to avoid this hike on weekends. If you are heading to Lake Dorothy on a weekend, I would highly recommend starting very early or later in the afternoon. Like most popular hikes in Colorado, you will want to avoid the hours of 7AM – 2PM for your best bet to avoid crowds. 

Best Views: Lake Dorothy hike is beautiful from start to finish. There are so many side outlooks and extra views to be gained by just walking a bit further from the main trail. This really is a gem of a hike if you are purely looking for A+ views. 

Make it a Loop: There are so many other trails in the area, but the other most popular hikes in the vicinity would be Diamond Lake and South Arapaho Peak. A hike that I have not tackled yet is the scramble up Mt Neva which looks like a fun time. Hopefully I can update this post in the future with more information about that summit.  

Lake Dorothy Hike Route

Gear Needed

• Men’s Trail Runners
• Women’s Trail Runners
• La Sportiva Trango Hiking Boots (Men’s)
• La Sportiva Trango Hiking Boots (Women’s)
• Backpack (Winter)
• Backpack (Summer)
• Food & Water
• Optional: Garmin inReach
• Optional: Hiking Poles – 120CM
• Optional: Headlamp
• Optional: Garmin Fenix Watch
• Optional: GoPro, Joby Tripod, Selfie Stick, GoPro 360
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