Colorado · Hiking · Mount Zirkel Wilderness

Gem Lake

2.1 mi
round trip
563 ft
climb
10,170 ft
high point
Out and back
route

Is Gem Lake open right now?

Alert in the area

The Forest Service lists 3 alerts for Medicine Bow-Routt National Forest.

As of · Source: USFS · Medicine Bow-Routt National Forest. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.

Gem Lake is an easy out-and-back hike in Colorado's Mount Zirkel Wilderness, part of the Parks Ranger District of the Medicine Bow-Routt National Forest. The trail is about 2 miles long, with a one-way elevation gain of 563 feet, and it runs on natural surface. The Forest Service manages the land, and the route is open year-round. The trail starts at a low point of about 9,600 feet and climbs to a high point of about 10,170 feet. Horses are allowed, and bikes are not. That makes it a practical choice for riders on horseback or for anyone who wants to move at a steady pace on foot. The surrounding area offers more to explore. Main Fork is about a mile away, and the Main Fork Trail is roughly 2.8 miles off. Climbers can head to Mica Basin, about 4 miles away, and paddlers can try North Fork Elk Creek, about 4.6 miles away.

Local outfitters

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

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Mica BasinPhoto: brewbooks, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)

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