Sugar Loafin'
Campground
Campground · 4.5 mi from the trail
Colorado · Cross-country skiing · Near Leadville
Fish Flats
Photo: Bruce Fingerhood from Springfield, Oregon, US, CC BY 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)- 3.9 mi
- distance
- 165 ft
- climb
- 10,218 ft
- high point
- Easy
- difficulty
- Jun–Jul, Sep
- best months
Is Fish Flats open right now?
Closure in the area
There's a closure order in Leadville Ranger District. It doesn't name Fish Flats, so check the source for the area it covers.
Willow Fire Area Closure
Agency closure covering Leadville Ranger District · Order 02-12-01-26-39 · USFS · Leadville Ranger District
FSR 286, Radical Hill, is closed due to washouts and unsafe conditions
Agency alert covering Pike and San Isabel National Forests · USFS · Pike and San Isabel National Forests
Interlaken Hotel and Annex Area closure
Agency alert covering Leadville Ranger District · Order 02-12-01-26-19 · USFS · Leadville Ranger District
Interlaken Hotel Tree Hazards
Agency alert covering Pike and San Isabel National Forests · USFS · Pike and San Isabel National Forests
Sharpe Fire Update
Agency alert covering Pike and San Isabel National Forests · USFS · Pike and San Isabel National Forests
As of · Source: USFS · Leadville Ranger District. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.
Fish Flats is a cross-country ski route in Colorado's Pike and San Isabel National Forests, within the Leadville Ranger District. The Forest Service manages the land, and the route sits at about 10,200 feet, with a high point of 10,218 feet and a low of 10,110 feet along the way. The climb is easy, with a total gain of 165 feet over a 3.9-mile route that starts at nearly the same elevation as the high point. Winter is the natural season for this ski route. Typical averages from a nearby weather station at Leadville show January highs around 30°F with lows near 5°F, while June and July run in the mid-60s to low 70s. The station sits a few hundred feet lower than the route, so temperatures on the flats run slightly cooler. Lung Burn and Larry's Loop are both within a third of a mile, making it easy to link them into a longer outing. Camp Hale Memorial Campground is about 4.6 miles away, and the East Fork Arkansas River offers paddling roughly 4.7 miles off.
Around this trail
Add any of these when you start a tripSleep close Eat after Hot Heads Chicken
Fast food
On your way back · 6 mi · Open after 6
If it rainsPlazak, CC BY 3.0 · Wikimedia CommonsMatchless Mine
Attraction
In town
Places © OpenStreetMap contributors · Photos: Plazak, CC BY 3.0 (commons)
More in LeadvilleLocal outfitters
- Rancho Del Rio41 mi away
- Jones Pass Guides44 mi away
Not on Roamze yet. Their page has how to reach them.
- Lung BurnCross-country skiingPhoto: Bruce Fingerhood from Springfield, Oregon, US, CC BY 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)0.2 mi
- Larry'S LoopCross-country skiingPhoto: Bruce Fingerhood from Springfield, Oregon, US, CC BY 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)0.3 mi
Tennessee CreekCanoeingPhoto: Jeffrey Beall, CC BY 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)3.5 mi- Camp Hale Memorial CampgroundCamping4.6 mi
East Fork Arkansas RiverCanoeingPhoto: Jeffrey Beall, CC BY 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)4.7 mi- Camp Hale East Fork Group CampgroundCamping4.8 mi
- Cecilville Slab aka Cecil RockRock climbing5.4 mi
- Fremont PassRock climbing5.6 mi
Source: Roamze catalog (indexable pages within 10 miles, PostGIS distance)
- Lung BurnCross-country skiing · Next doorPhoto: Bruce Fingerhood from Springfield, Oregon, US, CC BY 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)
- Larry'S LoopCross-country skiing · Next doorPhoto: Bruce Fingerhood from Springfield, Oregon, US, CC BY 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)
- The WoodsCross-country skiing · Next doorPhoto: Bruce Fingerhood from Springfield, Oregon, US, CC BY 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)
Treeline Loop Ski TrailCross-country skiing · ~1 min drivePhoto: Jeffrey Beall, CC BY 4.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)
Ski CooperDownhill skiing · ~2 min drivePhoto: The original uploader was Sculptorjones at English Wikipedia., Public domain (via Wikimedia Commons)- GrizCross-country skiing · ~2 min drivePhoto: Bruce Fingerhood from Springfield, Oregon, US, CC BY 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)
Cooper Loop RoadCross-country skiing · Next doorPhoto: Jeffrey Beall, CC BY 4.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)
10Th Mountain DivideCross-country skiing · Next doorPhoto: Jeffrey Beall, CC BY 4.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)- CooperCross-country skiing · ~2 min drivePhoto: Jeffrey Beall, CC BY 4.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)
Copper MountainDownhill skiing · ~20 min drivePhoto: Jarrod Doll from United States of America, CC BY 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)
Also worth it near here
Best time to visit Fish Flats
Best months: June–July 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
30° / 5°
10 wet
Feb
31° / 6°
10 wet
Mar
37° / 12°
11 wet
Apr
43° / 19°
11 wet
May
54° / 27°
9 wet
Jun
66° / 34°
7 wet
Jul
71° / 39°
12 wet
Aug
68° / 38°
13 wet
Sep
61° / 32°
9 wet
Oct
50° / 24°
8 wet
Nov
37° / 13°
9 wet
Dec
29° / 5°
10 wet
Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Leadville Lake Co Ap, CO, 8.6 mi away at 9,932 ft. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.
Map and trail data © OpenStreetMap contributors
