Colorado · Cross-country skiing

Lily Lake Trail

Lily Lake TrailPhoto: John Sowell, CC BY-SA 4.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)
0.5 mi
distance
36 ft
climb
10,393 ft
high point
Easy
difficulty
Jun–Aug
best months

Is Lily Lake Trail open right now?

Road closed

Gunnison County Road 12: road closure is listed as closed by CDOT 511.

As of · Source: CDOT 511. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.

Lily Lake Trail is a short, easy cross-country ski route in Colorado's Gunnison Ranger District, part of the Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre and Gunnison National Forests. The Forest Service manages the land, and the trail is about half a mile long, with a total elevation gain of 36 feet. It starts at roughly 10,360 feet and reaches a high point of about 10,390 feet, with the steepest stretch at about 7% grade near the start. Winter is the natural season for this trail. Typical averages from the nearby Crested Butte weather station show January highs around 26°F with lows near -7°F, while July highs reach about 76°F. That station sits well below the trail, so temperatures on the route run cooler. Lily Lake Trail #639 lies about 0.3 miles away, and the Lily Lake mountain biking area is about half a mile off. Kebler Pass Camping Area and Splains Gulch Camping Area are both within about a mile and a half, making them good bases for an overnight stay.

Local outfitters

Not on Roamze yet. Their page has how to reach them.

  • Best time to go · Jun–Aug

    Best time to visit Lily Lake Trail

    Best months: June–August. 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.

    1. Jan

      26° / -7°

      12 wet

    2. Feb

      29° / -2°

      11 wet

    3. Mar

      38° / 7°

      10 wet

    4. Apr

      47° / 19°

      9 wet

    5. May

      58° / 28°

      8 wet

    6. Jun

      70° / 34°

      7 wet

    7. Jul

      76° / 40°

      10 wet

    8. Aug

      74° / 38°

      12 wet

    9. Sep

      66° / 31°

      9 wet

    10. Oct

      54° / 22°

      8 wet

    11. Nov

      39° / 9°

      9 wet

    12. Dec

      27° / -4°

      11 wet

    Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Crested Butte, CO, 6.4 mi away at 8,867 ft. The station sits about 1,500 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.

Keep exploring — more snow worth the drive

Lily Lake Trail #639Photo: John Sowell, CC BY-SA 4.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

Lily Lake Trail #639

Next door

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Railroad SkiPhoto: John Sowell, CC BY-SA 4.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

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Paradise ParkPhoto: www.Pixel.la Free Stock Photos, CC0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

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Map and trail data © OpenStreetMap contributors