Colorado · Hiking

Duck Lake

Duck LakePhoto: Michael C. Rael, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)
7.6 mi
round trip
1,090 ft
climb
10,066 ft
high point
Out and back
route

Caution at last check

Agency alerts are in effect for this area; weather is good · USFS, OpenWeather · checked 15 h ago

Is Duck Lake open right now?

Closure in the area

There's a closure order in Rio Grande National Forest. It doesn't name Duck Lake, so check the source for the area it covers.

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

Duck Lake is a hard hike of about 7.6 miles out and back on the Forest Service's natural-surfaced trail in the Conejos Peak Ranger District of Colorado's Rio Grande National Forest. The trail rises from a low point of about 9,000 feet to a high of roughly 10,000 feet, with a one-way climb of about 1,100 feet. The trailhead, Duck Lake Trailhead, is open year-round, and parking is at the trailhead. The route is set up for horseback riders, and horses are allowed. Biking is not. The trail is natural-surfaced, so expect a rougher, less maintained path than a developed road. Campers have several options close by. Old Elk Creek is just 0.3 miles away, and Elk Creek Campground is about 1.1 miles off. The Hidden Lake Trail is 1.8 miles away, and the Alamosa-Conejos Road, a mountain biking route, is about 2.1 miles out.

Local outfitters

Not on Roamze yet. Their page has how to reach them.