Turquoise Lake Leadville Colorado Hike Guide
Turquoise Lake is a large natural glacial lake located just minutes outside of Leadville, Colorado. This 1,800 acre lake is a popular spot to hike, bike, camp, fish and of course trail run. Hiking at Turquoise Lake typically starts at the dam or Mayqueen campground and works around the north side of the massive body of water. This spot can be hiked year round but is usually most frequented during May – November when snow melts out revealing the single track dirt trail. Turquoise Lake is also part of the infamous Leadville 100 Ultramarathon course.
Turquoise Lake Colorado Quick Facts
Turquoise Lake Colorado Rating: ★★★★ (4/5 Stars)
Distance: 12 Miles RT (Dam to Mayqueen)
Elevation Start: 9,895ft
Highest Elevation: 9,988ft
Total Elevation Gain: 880ft
Estimated Time to Complete:4-5 Hours RT
Difficulty: Easy to Moderate What does this mean?
Class: Class 1 – What does this mean?
Season: Year Round – most commonly hiked May – November
Check the Weather Forecast – Using Open Summit provides the most data points to plan a safe hike
Directions to Turquoise Lake
Trailhead: Turquoise Lake Dam
Getting Here: From Leadville, Colorado – head down 6th avenue for .8 miles. Take a right onto County Road and follow for 2.6 miles. After reaching a fork in the road, stay straight for another mile to find a few small parking areas. If you want a bigger lot, you can head to the many campgrounds in the area, but they do require a fee.
Parking: There are so many different options to park at Turquoise Lake, but in this post I highlight the free spot. If following the directions above, there are two small dirt pull offs located about 20 yards from each other. Collectively they can probably fit about 10 cars. If you are not able to park here, you can try the nearby campgrounds on the east side of the lake. However, all of these require fees. There are no restrooms at the free parking spots but non-plumbing bathrooms along the lake in the camping areas.
Fee: Free or various – depending on where you park.
Summary
Dogs: This is a dog friendly hike with lots of running, biking and hiking traffic.
Camping: There are a number of campgrounds along Turquoise Lake some are first come first serve, others require reservations. Although it’s not the most user friendly site – this is the best one to figure out availability.
Make it a Loop: Turquoise Lake is an out and back hike that can easily be extended into a longer hike by hiking past Mayqueen and onto the Colorado Trail. If you wanted to make it a true loop, it would involve running / biking on county roads to get back to the dam at the parking area.
Trail X Factors: Social Trails
When hiking the first 2-3 miles along the lake, there are a number of social trails that can make following the main trail somewhat confusing. In general, just stick close to the lake and if you do get lost it’s fairly easy to just keep heading around the lake and you will likely find the main route again.
Hike Tip(s): This hike is especially beautiful during the early summer for a few reasons:
- The snow on the mountains that surround Turquoise Lake are extra beautiful
- The small cascades/waterfalls near the northwest end of the lake only run seasonally and usually dry out by mid to late July.
Bonus Tip: Go for a refreshing dip in the lake after a run or hike – you are allowed to swim here!
Best Views: You really can’t go wrong on this hike – it’s beautiful from start to finish.
Turquoise Lake 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
- Food & Water
- Optional: Garmin inReach
- Optional: Hiking Poles
- Optional: Garmin Fenix Watch
- Optional: Camera and Lens
- Optional: GoPro, Joby Tripod
- *Links included in this description might be affiliate links. If you purchase a product or service with the links that I provide I may receive a small commission. There is no additional charge to you.
My Trip to Turquoise Lake: June 2022
Training for the Leadville 100 – Turquoise Lake is the first segment of the 50 mile out and back course. To prepare for this race, I spent a handful of visits at Turquoise Lake running along the blue shores.
On my first visit, I had some problems finding the free parking area and starting point in addition to following the main trail. However, after spending a bit of time running, it becomes pretty evident where to go. The thing that surprised me about this trail were the picturesque views of neighboring peaks and state high point Mt Elbert. In addition, the small waterfalls towards the Mayqueen side of the hike are well worth the extra miles.
Overall, Turquoise Lake is a beautiful spot to spend the day or even weekend with so many activities possible outside of the hike itself.
