Big Meadows Campground
Campground
Campground · 2.0 mi from the trail
Colorado · Hiking · Near South Fork
Shaw Lake Loop
- 2.3 mi
- round trip
- 85 ft
- climb
- 9,910 ft
- high point
- Out and back
- route
- Jun, Sep
- best months
Is Shaw Lake Loop open right now?
Closure in the area
There's a closure order in Rio Grande National Forest. It doesn't name Shaw Lake Loop, so check the source for the area it covers.
Closures and dangerous conditions on roads, bridges, and trails from flooding
Agency closure covering Rio Grande National Forest · USFS · Rio Grande National Forest
As of · Source: USFS · Rio Grande National Forest. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.
Shaw Lake Loop is an easy out-and-back hike of about 2.3 miles on natural-surface trail in the Divide Ranger District of Rio Grande National Forest in Colorado. The route climbs from about 9,715 feet to about 9,910 feet, so the total gain is 85 feet. The trail is open year round, and it is rated easy. The Forest Service manages the land, and the trail is open to both horses and bikes. Summer is the most comfortable time to go. Typical averages from a nearby weather station at a similar elevation show July highs around 72°F and lows near 40°F, while winter brings highs in the mid-30s and lows around freezing. The station sits a few hundred feet lower than the trail's high point, so temperatures on the route run slightly cooler. Nearby options include Kitty Creek, about 0.6 miles away, and the climbing at Long Cliff and Little Black Cliff, about 1.3 miles off. Big Meadows Campground lies roughly 2 miles from the trail.
Around this trail
Add any of these when you start a tripSleep close Eat after Ramon's Mexican Restaurant
Restaurant
On your way back · 10 miIf it rains Quiller Gallery
Gallery
Gallery · 21 mi from South Fork
Places © OpenStreetMap contributors
More in South ForkLocal outfitters
- Blue Creek Lodge14 mi away
- Pagosa Riverside Campground22 mi away
Not on Roamze yet. Their page has how to reach them.
- Kitty CreekHiking0.6 mi
- Long CliffRock climbing1.3 mi
- Little Black CliffRock climbing1.3 mi
South Fork Rio GrandeCanoeingPhoto: Jeffrey Beall, CC BY 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)1.4 mi- Lake ForkHiking1.4 mi
- Big Meadows Reservoir Boating SiteLake fishing1.8 mi
- Big Meadows CampgroundCamping2 mi
Big Meadows Reservoir Campground (South Central CO)CampingPhoto: Recreation.gov (RIDB) / public domain2 mi
Source: Roamze catalog (indexable pages within 10 miles, PostGIS distance)
Big Meadows LoopHiking · ~3 min drivePhoto: JustTooLazy, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)
ArchuletaHiking · ~6 min drivePhoto: JustTooLazy, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)- Tie HillHiking · ~6 min drive
Hunters LakeHiking · ~7 min drivePhoto: cogdogblog, Public Domain Dedication (CC0) (via Flickr)
HighlineHiking · ~8 min drivePhoto: cogdogblog, Public Domain Dedication (CC0) (via Flickr)- SawtoothHiking · ~10 min drive
LoboHiking · ~9 min drivePhoto: Corey Leopold, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)
RaspberryHiking · ~12 min drivePhoto: dsearls, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)- Church Creek TrailHiking · ~16 min drive
OverlookHiking · ~17 min drivePhoto: Dicklyon, CC BY-SA 4.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)
Best time to visit Shaw Lake Loop
Best months: June and 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
35° / 2°
7 wet
Feb
36° / 3°
7 wet
Mar
42° / 12°
7 wet
Apr
48° / 19°
7 wet
May
58° / 27°
8 wet
Jun
68° / 34°
7 wet
Jul
72° / 40°
15 wet
Aug
70° / 39°
15 wet
Sep
64° / 33°
11 wet
Oct
55° / 23°
7 wet
Nov
43° / 13°
5 wet
Dec
34° / 2°
7 wet
Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Santa Maria Rsvr, CO, 24.6 mi away at 9,687 ft. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.
