Mitchell and Blue Lake (11,360′), Front Range
Mitchell and Blue Lake are located in the Brainard Lake Recreation Area, west of Boulder, Colorado. Brainard Lake itself is a small lake at the junction of two major valleys in the east central Indian Peaks Wilderness. The northern of the two valleys holds Mitchell and Blue Lakes, while the southern valley holds Long Lake and Lake Isabelle. Hiking to the lakes is straightforward with an easy to follow established trail.
Mt Audubon (13,223′) is the highest peak in the Indian Peaks Wilderness with an established trail that nearly reaches the summit and is also located inside of the Brainard Lake Recreation Area.
Trail Stats
- Trailhead: Mitchell Lake Trailhead
- Round trip: Mitchell Lake 2 mile/ 3.2 km (10,650′)
- Blue Lake 6 miles / 9.7 km
- Elevation: 10,525′-11,360′ / 3,208 m – 3,462 m
- County: Boulder
- Agency: U.S. Forest Service
- Nat’l Forest: Roosevelt
- Nat’l Wilderness: Indian Peaks
Trail Pictures
Brainard State Park
Brainard State Park
Mitchell Lake and part of Mt Audubon
Mitchell Lake and part of Mt Audubon
Blue Lake looking east
Blue Lake looking east
Blue Lake
Blue Lake
Blue Lake and Pawnee Peak
Blue Lake and Pawnee Peak
Waterfall below Mt Toll
Waterfall below Mt Toll
Pawnee Peak
Pawnee Peak
Mt Toll and Blue Lake
Mt Toll and Blue Lake
Up to Blue Lake
Up to Blue Lake
Heading up an alpine shelf
Heading up an alpine shelf
Blue Lake trail near tree-line
Blue Lake trail near tree-line
First view of Mt Toll
First view of Mt Toll
One of many small ponds
One of many small ponds
View of Mitchell Lake along the trail
View of Mitchell Lake along the trail
Mitchell Lake trail
Mitchell Lake trail
Beautiful clouds along with relentless wind
Beautiful clouds along with relentless wind
Longs Peak in the far distance
Longs Peak in the far distance
Mt Audubon trail above tree-line
Mt Audubon trail above tree-line
View of Mitchell Lake
View of Mitchell Lake
Winding through old Bristlecone Pines
Winding through old Bristlecone Pines
Early morning on the trail
Early morning on the trail
Mt Audubon trail
Mt Audubon trail
Tried the Mt Audubon trail first, but wind would be to strong to summit Mt Audubon
Tried the Mt Audubon trail first, but wind would be to strong to summit Mt Audubon
Blue Lake and Mt Toll
Blue Lake and Mt Toll
Panorama of Blue Lake
Panorama of Blue Lake
GPS Route with Elevation
Video Tour
Trail Directions
The wooded trail enters the Indian Peaks Wilderness near the Mitchell Creek bridge. It continues to Mitchell Lake, crossing a second bridge over the inlet. From the lake you can see Mt Audubon across the water. Another 2 miles of trail climb more steeply, following the creek into an open valley to Blue Lake. This lake lies at tree line below Mount Toll, a cone-shaped pinnacle on the Continental Divide.
Trailhead Directions
Hi, mlz2000! This looks like a great hike! You filled it with some really useful pieces of information. I was wondering, what do you think is the best time of year to take this trail?
The best time to take the trail if you are hiking is from June-October. The area has great snowshoeing as well, but the road is closed in winter, adding approximately 2 miles to your destination.