Smith Lake
Photo: Jim Morefield, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)- 1.4 mi
- round trip
- 305 ft
- climb
- 10,501 ft
- high point
- Out and back
- route
Is Smith Lake open right now?
Alert in the area
The Forest Service lists 3 alerts for Medicine Bow-Routt National Forest.
Access Impact: Big Creek Lakes Dam Project
Agency alert covering Medicine Bow-Routt National Forest · USFS · Medicine Bow-Routt National Forest
Trail & Access Impact: Stillwater Reservoir Project
Agency alert covering Medicine Bow-Routt National Forest · USFS · Medicine Bow-Routt National Forest
Snowy Range - 2026 Active Vegetation Operations
Agency alert covering Medicine Bow-Routt National Forest · USFS · Medicine Bow-Routt National Forest
As of · Source: USFS · Medicine Bow-Routt National Forest. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.
Smith Lake is an easy, out-and-back hike of about 1.4 miles in the Yampa Ranger District of the Medicine Bow-Routt National Forest in Colorado. The trail rises about 305 feet from a low point of 10,197 feet to a high of 10,501 feet, and it is managed by the Forest Service. The trail is natural-surfaced and allows bikes, and it is not an accessible route. The Smith Lake Trailhead is the parking for the trip, and the hike is open year-round. Horseshoe Campground and Cold Springs Campground both sit within a third of a mile of the trailhead, making it easy to base a stay here. North Derby is about a mile away, and Mandall Lakes is roughly 1.7 miles off.
Local outfitters
- Flat Tops Wilderness Guides16 mi away
- Rancho Del Rio28 mi away
Not on Roamze yet. Their page has how to reach them.
Keep exploring — more trails worth the drive
Photo: Jim Morefield, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)North Derby
~2 min drive
4.35-mile out-and-back trail in Colorado with 757 ft gain and 11,197 ft max elevation.
Photo: Jim Morefield, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)Mandall Lakes
~3 min drive
10.55-mile out-and-back trail to Mandall Lakes in Colorado with 1,565 ft gain.
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Bear River
~3 min drive
6.35-mile out-and-back trail in Colorado with 1,020 ft gain.
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Keener Lake
~5 min drive
0.74-mile out-and-back to Keener Lake in Colorado's White River National Forest.
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Edge Lake
~3 min drive
3.96-mile out-and-back hike to Edge Lake in Colorado's Medicine Bow-Routt National Forest.
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Arthur H. Carhart
~11 min drive
5.35-mile loop in Colorado's White River National Forest with 175 ft gain.
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Devils Causeway
~5 min drive
2.64-mile out-and-back trail in Colorado's White River National Forest with 207 ft of elevation gain.
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Hooper Lake
~4 min drive
11.04-mile out-and-back trail to Hooper Lake in Colorado's White River National Forest
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West Lost Lake
~11 min drive
3.14-mile out-and-back hike to West Lost Lake in Colorado's Medicine Bow-Routt National Forest.
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Bailey Lakes
~7 min drive
3.04-mile out-and-back trail in Colorado's White River National Forest with 469 ft elevation gain.
