Muskrat Lakes
- 2.8 mi
- round trip
- 639 ft
- climb
- 8,847 ft
- high point
- Out and back
- route
- May–Sep
- best months
Caution today
Agency alerts are in effect for this area; weather is good · USFS, OpenWeather · checked 10 h ago
Is Muskrat Lakes open right now?
Alert in the area
The Forest Service lists 6 alerts for White River National Forest.
FSR 286, Radical Hill, is closed due to washouts and unsafe conditions
Agency alert covering White River National Forest · USFS · White River National Forest
Limited parking at Snowmass Creek Trailhead
Agency alert covering White River National Forest · USFS · White River National Forest
Grizzly Creek Trail Closure
Agency alert covering White River National Forest · Order 2026-02 · USFS · White River National Forest
Ruedi Marina Day Use area Dump Station is CLOSED
Agency alert covering White River National Forest · USFS · White River National Forest
Asbestos safety closure - Camp Hale
Agency alert covering White River National Forest · USFS · White River National Forest
As of · Source: USFS · White River National Forest. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.
Muskrat Lakes is an easy out-and-back hike in Colorado's Flat Tops Wilderness, within the Blanco Ranger District of the White River National Forest. The trail is managed by the Forest Service and runs about 2.8 miles, with a one-way elevation gain of 639 feet from a low point of 8,192 feet to a high of 8,847 feet. The route is natural-surface and allows horses, so it works well for riders as well as hikers. Bikes are not permitted. Summer is the most comfortable time to go. Typical averages from a nearby weather station in Yampa, which sits about 1,000 feet lower, show July highs around 79°F with lows near 46°F, while winter highs stay around freezing. The Marvine Trailhead is the parking for this route, and the trail is open year-round. Marvine Campground and East Marvine Campground are both within a mile, and the Marvine Creek paddling route is about 1.2 miles away.
Local outfitters
- Flat Tops Wilderness Guides18 mi away
- Glenwood Canyon Resort31 mi away
Not on Roamze yet. Their page has how to reach them.
- MarvineHiking0.5 mi
- Marvine CampgroundCamping0.6 mi
- West MarvineHiking0.9 mi
- East Marvine CampgroundCamping0.9 mi
- Marvine CreekCanoeing1.2 mi
- Wild Cow ParkHiking2.4 mi
- North Fork CampgroundCamping4.1 mi
North Fork White RiverCanoeingPhoto: Jeffrey Beall, CC BY 4.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)5.2 mi
Source: Roamze catalog (indexable pages within 10 miles, PostGIS distance)
- Wild Cow ParkHiking · ~4 min drive
- BIG RIDGE CUTOFFHiking · ~5 min drive
- Mary Loch LakeHiking · ~7 min drive
- Papoose CreekHiking · ~8 min drive
- East MarvineHiking · ~6 min drive
- Lost CreekHiking · ~8 min drive
- Pine Isle LakeHiking · ~7 min drive
- Ute CreekHiking · ~7 min drive
- Oyster LakeHiking · ~11 min drive
- Big Marvine PeakHiking · ~10 min drive
Best time to visit Muskrat Lakes
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.
Jan
32° / 7°
12 wet
Feb
34° / 9°
11 wet
Mar
43° / 17°
10 wet
Apr
52° / 24°
11 wet
May
62° / 33°
10 wet
Jun
74° / 40°
8 wet
Jul
79° / 46°
10 wet
Aug
77° / 45°
11 wet
Sep
70° / 37°
9 wet
Oct
57° / 27°
8 wet
Nov
42° / 17°
9 wet
Dec
32° / 8°
11 wet
Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Yampa, CO, 29 mi away at 7,857 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.
