Colorado · Hiking · Eagles Nest Wilderness

Lily Pad Trail

4.6 mi
round trip
458 ft
climb
9,944 ft
high point
Out and back
route
Jun–Jul
best months

Is Lily Pad Trail 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.

Lily Pad Trail is a 4.6-mile out-and-back hike in Colorado's Eagles Nest Wilderness, part of the Dillon Ranger District of the White River National Forest. The Forest Service manages the land, and the trail is rated moderate, with a total elevation gain of 458 feet from the low point at 9,561 feet to the high at 9,944 feet. The trail is a natural-surface route that allows horses but not bikes. The Lily Pad Trailhead is the parking point, and the trail is open year-round. Summer is the most comfortable time to go. Typical averages from a nearby weather station at Dillon run to highs around 75°F in July, with lows near 38°F. That station sits about 880 feet lower than the trail's high point, so temperatures on the trail run cooler. Nearby, the Lily Pad Lake Shoreline Spur mountain biking route is about 0.2 miles away, and the Meadow Creek hike is about 0.4 miles off. Climbers can head to Frisco Boulders, about 1.5 miles away, and Heaton Bay Campground is about 2.1 miles away.

Go with a guide

  • Best time to go · Jun–Jul

    Best time to visit Lily Pad Trail

    Best months: June–July. 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

      31° / 1°

      12 wet

    2. Feb

      33° / 4°

      11 wet

    3. Mar

      41° / 10°

      11 wet

    4. Apr

      47° / 18°

      11 wet

    5. May

      58° / 26°

      10 wet

    6. Jun

      69° / 33°

      9 wet

    7. Jul

      75° / 38°

      12 wet

    8. Aug

      73° / 37°

      13 wet

    9. Sep

      66° / 30°

      10 wet

    10. Oct

      54° / 21°

      8 wet

    11. Nov

      41° / 11°

      9 wet

    12. Dec

      32° / 3°

      11 wet

    Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Dillon 1 E, CO, 4.7 mi away at 9,065 ft. The station sits about 900 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

Lily Pad Lake Shoreline Spur TrailPhoto: QKC, CC BY-SA 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

Lily Pad Lake Shoreline Spur Trail

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Frisco-Keystone Bike PathPhoto: Roman Eugeniusz, CC BY-SA 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

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Superior Mine TrailPhoto: QKC, CC BY-SA 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

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Buffalo Ridge Ponds To Upper Salt LickPhoto: iagoarchangel, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)

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Trail near Lily Pad LakePhoto: Luis in Denver, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)

Trail near Lily Pad Lake

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BR-Ponds To Lily Pad Lake TrailPhoto: Luis in Denver, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)

BR-Ponds To Lily Pad Lake Trail

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0.37-mile out-and-back trail with 71 ft gain in Colorado.

Trail near Lily Pad LakePhoto: D BREW, CC BY-SA 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

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