August 17, 2021

By Tim Briese

13.3 miles, 2900’ elevation gain, 11:25 roundtrip time

I have not hiked very much in Colorado’s Gore Range so in order to sample more of the range's rugged beauty I looked for a highly-rated scenic hike in the range. The trail to North Willow Lakes was just what I was looking for.

Teresa and I left home at 430 am and drove to Silverthorne and to the Willowbrook Trailhead, located next to a pricey subdivision at the northwest edge of town. About 7 am we headed up the trail into the White River National Forest and soon entered the Eagles Nest Wilderness Area. There were a lot of dead lodgepole pines in this area but also much fresh green undergrowth, as well as many pretty late summer wildflowers.

buffalo mountain is visible through the trees

After a mile and a half or so we joined the Gore Range Trail and turned to the right and made a steady march upward. There was plenty of smoky haze in the otherwise blue sky today but we weren’t letting that deter us. We encountered a few other hikers today but not a great number. In a couple more miles we turned left onto the rocky Willow Lake Trail and climbed some more. Eventually the trail leveled out and we hiked through a pretty alpine area with big rocks, lush meadows, and wildflowers, with rugged Gore Range peaks above.

We went past Lower North Willow Lake and continued on up to the upper lake, with the scenery getting more beautiful with every step.

lower north willow lake

rugged gore peaks, including red peak at the right

in the valley getting close to the upper lake

upper north willow lake

At the scenic upper lake we found a splendid spot beside some large flat rocks right on the shore and sprawled out and relaxed for a while. The day was warm so I took a quick dip in the lake which was marvelously refreshing.

relaxing on the shore

After a while we headed back down the trail.

another scenic view after we left the lake

We made a short side trip up toward Salmon Lake then continued on down the main trail.

salmon lake is visible at the bottom through the trees

We were getting very tired as the miles dragged on late in the day. We tramped back to the trailhead about 630 pm and headed for home after a quick bite in Silverthorne. We discovered a great way to beat the traffic in Denver and on I-70 today – leave home at 430 am and return at 9 pm!