Colorado · Hiking · Eagles Nest Wilderness

Cataract Lake Loop

2.1 mi
loop
207 ft
climb
8,775 ft
high point
Loop
route
May–Sep
best months

Is Cataract Lake Loop open right now?

Alert in the area

The Forest Service lists 6 alerts for White River National Forest.

As of · Source: USFS · White River National Forest. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.

Cataract Lake Loop is a 2.1-mile loop hike in Colorado's Eagles Nest Wilderness, within the Dillon Ranger District of the White River National Forest. The trail is managed by the Forest Service and is rated moderate, with a total elevation gain of 207 feet from a low point of 8,625 feet to a high of 8,775 feet. The route is a natural-surface loop, and bikes are not allowed. Summer is the most comfortable time to go. Typical averages from a nearby weather station at Green Mt Dam, which sits about 1,000 feet lower, show July highs around 79°F with lows near 44°F. That station's figures are not directly comparable to the trail's higher elevation, so expect cooler temperatures on the loop. The trip is estimated to take about an hour, and the parking area is named Cataract Lake. The trail is open year-round. Cataract Lake (Heeney, Colorado), a climbing area, lies just 0.1 mile away. Guthrie Gulch and the Eaglesmere Trail are both within a mile, and Cataract Creek Campground is about 1.2 miles off.

Go with a guide

  • Best time to go · May–Sep

    Best time to visit Cataract Lake Loop

    Best months: May–September. Best months have typical highs of 55–85 °F, lows of 30 °F or warmer (32 °F where the station doesn't record snow), at most one snowy day and no more than 12 wet days.

    1. Jan

      28° / 4°

    2. Feb

      33° / 7°

    3. Mar

      42° / 15°

    4. Apr

      51° / 24°

    5. May

      61° / 32°

    6. Jun

      74° / 39°

    7. Jul

      79° / 44°

    8. Aug

      76° / 43°

    9. Sep

      69° / 36°

    10. Oct

      55° / 26°

    11. Nov

      40° / 16°

    12. Dec

      29° / 6°

    Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Green Mt Dam, CO, 3.5 mi away at 7,740 ft. The station sits about 1,000 ft lower than this place, so expect it a little cooler here. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.

Keep exploring — more trails worth the drive

Upper Piney Lake TrailPhoto: jl_2, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)

Upper Piney Lake Trail

~11 min drive

4.74-mile trail in Colorado with 1,200 ft gain and 10,800 ft max elevation

Soda Lakes TrailPhoto: jl_2, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)

Soda Lakes Trail

~13 min drive

0.93-mile out-and-back hike in Colorado's White River National Forest with 315 ft gain.

Upper PineyPhoto: jl_2, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)

Upper Piney

~14 min drive

5.89-mile out-and-back trail in Colorado's White River National Forest with 500 ft gain.

Mount PowellPhoto: jl_2, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)

Mount Powell

~14 min drive

Route to the summit of Mount Powell (13,586 ft) from Piney River Ranch.

East Meadow CreekPhoto: jl_2, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)

East Meadow Creek

~13 min drive

13.94-mile out-and-back trail in Colorado with 1,185 ft of elevation gain.

HIKE

Guthrie Gulch

~1 min drive

2.43-mile out-and-back trail in Colorado's White River National Forest with 112 ft of elevation gain.

Lost Lake to PineyPhoto: jl_2, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)

Lost Lake to Piney

~16 min drive

3.14-mile out-and-back trail from Lost Lake to Piney in Colorado's White River National Forest.

Lost LakePhoto: jl_2, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)

Lost Lake

~15 min drive

8.45-mile out-and-back trail to Lost Lake in Colorado, 227 ft gain, 10,263 ft max elevation

HIKE

Gore Range Trail

~4 min drive

0.64-mile out-and-back trail in Colorado's Gore Range with 164 ft gain.

HIKE

Eaglesmere Trail

~2 min drive

5.70-mile out-and-back hike in Colorado's White River National Forest with 2,852 ft gain.