Colorado · Hiking · Eagles Nest Wilderness

Deluge Lake

8.2 mi
round trip
2,314 ft
climb
11,761 ft
high point
Out and back
route

Is Deluge Lake 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.

Deluge Lake is a moderate out-and-back hike in the Eagles Nest Wilderness, part of the Holy Cross Ranger District of White River National Forest in Colorado. The Forest Service manages the land, and the trail lies within designated wilderness. The route is about 8 miles long, with a one-way climb of roughly 2,300 feet from a low point of about 8,744 feet to a high of about 11,761 feet. The trail surface is natural, and the route does not allow bikes or horses. Summer is the most comfortable time to go. Typical averages from a nearby weather station at Climax, CO, show July highs around 67°F with lows near 40°F, while winter months bring highs in the mid-20s and frequent snow days. Gore Creek Campground and the Vail - Frisco Rec Path both sit about 0.3 miles away. The Bighorn hike is about 1.3 miles off, and Pitkin, a lake fishing spot, is about 1.8 miles away.

Go with a guide

  • Best time to go

    Best time to visit Deluge Lake

    No month here meets our mild-weather rule. 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

      27° / 3°

      15 wet · 15 snow

    2. Feb

      29° / 3°

      15 wet · 15 snow

    3. Mar

      35° / 8°

      14 wet · 14 snow

    4. Apr

      40° / 15°

      13 wet · 13 snow

    5. May

      49° / 25°

      10 wet · 8 snow

    6. Jun

      61° / 34°

      8 wet · 2 snow

    7. Jul

      67° / 40°

      13 wet

    8. Aug

      64° / 39°

      15 wet

    9. Sep

      58° / 32°

      11 wet · 2 snow

    10. Oct

      47° / 21°

      9 wet · 7 snow

    11. Nov

      35° / 11°

      12 wet · 12 snow

    12. Dec

      27° / 3°

      15 wet · 15 snow

    Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Climax, CO, 18.7 mi away at 11,344 ft. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.

Keep exploring — more trails worth the drive

Vail - Frisco Rec PathPhoto: Scott McLeod, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)

Vail - Frisco Rec Path

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North TraversePhoto: Scott McLeod, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)

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Gore Lake

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BighornPhoto: Scott McLeod, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)

Bighorn

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East Partner PeakPhoto: toastal_OLD, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)

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Bowman's Shortcut

~8 min drive

7.80-mile out-and-back trail in Colorado with 849 ft elevation gain.

West Partner PeakPhoto: toastal_OLD, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)

West Partner Peak

~5 min drive

Route to the summit of West Partner Peak (13,054 ft) from the trailhead.