Big Fish
- 12.9 mi
- round trip
- 1,987 ft
- climb
- 10,978 ft
- high point
- Out and back
- route
Is Big Fish open right now?
Alert in the area
The Forest Service lists 6 alerts for White River National Forest.
FSR 286, Radical Hill, is closed due to washouts and unsafe conditions
Agency alert covering White River National Forest · USFS · White River National Forest
Limited parking at Snowmass Creek Trailhead
Agency alert covering White River National Forest · USFS · White River National Forest
Grizzly Creek Trail Closure
Agency alert covering White River National Forest · Order 2026-02 · USFS · White River National Forest
Ruedi Marina Day Use area Dump Station is CLOSED
Agency alert covering White River National Forest · USFS · White River National Forest
Asbestos safety closure - Camp Hale
Agency alert covering White River National Forest · USFS · White River National Forest
As of · Source: USFS · White River National Forest. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.
Big Fish is a hard hike in the Flat Tops Wilderness, part of the Blanco Ranger District of White River National Forest in Colorado. The Forest Service manages the land, and the trail is a natural-surface out-and-back that climbs from about 8,700 feet to about 10,978 feet over roughly 13 miles, with a total elevation gain of about 2,000 feet. Horses are allowed on the trail, but bikes are not. Himes Peak Campground sits just 0.1 mile away, making it the natural base for an overnight trip. Boulder Lake and Anderson Reservoir are both within about a mile and a half, and Lake Of The Woods offers fishing about 1.5 miles off.
Local outfitters
- Flat Tops Wilderness Guides16 mi away
- Glenwood Canyon Resort32 mi away
Not on Roamze yet. Their page has how to reach them.
Keep exploring — more trails worth the drive
Photo: Jim Morefield, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)North Derby
~14 min drive
4.35-mile out-and-back trail in Colorado with 757 ft gain and 11,197 ft max elevation.
HIKE
Boulder Lake
~2 min drive
4.52-mile out-and-back to Boulder Lake in Colorado's White River National Forest
HIKE
Skinny Fish Lake
~4 min drive
6.18-mile out-and-back to Skinny Fish Lake in Colorado's White River National Forest.
Photo: Jim Morefield, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)Smith Lake
~15 min drive
1.44-mile out-and-back hike to Smith Lake in Colorado's Medicine Bow-Routt National Forest.
HIKE
Duck Lake
~3 min drive
4.84-mile out-and-back trail to Duck Lake in Colorado, 543 ft elevation gain.
HIKE
Himes Peak
~4 min drive
8.66-mile out-and-back hike to Himes Peak in Colorado's White River National Forest.
HIKE
Anderson Reservoir
~2 min drive
1.61-mile out-and-back trail to Anderson Reservoir in Colorado's White River National Forest
HIKE
Arthur H. Carhart
~5 min drive
5.35-mile loop in Colorado's White River National Forest with 175 ft gain.
HIKE
Picket Pin Lily Pond
~6 min drive
15.97-mile out-and-back trail in Colorado's White River National Forest with 1,863 ft elevation gain.
HIKE
Lake of the Woods
~3 min drive
0.76-mile out-and-back trail to Lake of the Woods in Colorado's White River National Forest.
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