Emerald Meadows Trail;Lupine Trail

Emerald Meadows Trail and Lupine Trail are two short routes in Steamboat Springs, Colorado, about a mile from town. The trails sit within a short distance of each other, with Emerald Meadows Trail about 0.1 mile from town and Lupine Trail at a similar distance. The whole pair makes an easy add-on to a day spent in the area. The route between them is a brief stretch of about 0.13 miles, with a total climb of 14 feet and a drop of 20 feet. The climb is steepest at about 0.08 miles in, rising roughly 4 percent. It's a short, low-elevation change that works well as a connector between the two routes. For cross-country skiing, winter is the season. Typical averages from a nearby weather station in Steamboat Springs show January highs around 29°F with lows near 5°F, and December and January each bring about 14 wet days. Summer is milder, with July highs near 83°F and lows in the 30s. The most comfortable time to go is late summer. July and August typically bring highs in the low 80s and lows in the mid 40s, while September cools to highs around 74°F with fewer wet days than winter. Winter brings lows near 5°F. Nearby, Butcher Knife offers climbing about 1.5 miles away, and Steamboat Springs KOA has camping about 2.8 miles out. Soda Creek, about 5 miles away, and Walton Creek, about 7 miles away, offer paddling.