Brainard Lake reflects the scenery during the summer in Ward, Colo. (Courtesy Annie Rumbles)
“Colorado’s Hidden Gems” is a column exploring places around town that are little-known to CU students.
Back in August, my friend Sam gave me a call and said he and some other guys wanted to go hiking, jump off some rocks and swim around for the rest of the afternoon. Sam said his friend had a spot in mind and to bring whoever wanted to tag along. In 30 minutes I assembled a crew and stocked up on snacks and a couple hours worth of water.
He and three of his friends picked me up and we headed toward Blue Lake, part of the Brainard Lake Recreational Area (BLRA). Brainard Lake is the most popular destination in the Boulder Range District, offering camping, hiking, climbing, bicycling, fishing, hunting, horseback riding, picnicking, winter activities, water activities and everything in between. BLRA lies in a glacially carved valley surrounded by miles of beautiful alpine forests.
Luckily Brainard Lake is only about a 45 minute drive down Highway 72, nestled in a rustic mountain town called Ward. Once you get to Ward, you turn west and follow Brainard Lake Road until you hit the area’s entrance station.
We hadn’t anticipated any fee, but you do have to pay $10 at the station, which covers up to three days of camping. The nuisance of having to pay was short-lived once we saw what we were paying for.
We told the park ranger at the front desk that we were looking for Blue Lake and she pointed us toward the trailhead. Before we could speed off she casually told us that a couple of moose had been spotted earlier and to keep our eyes out.
Within the first few minutes of driving we saw a pile of cars hunkered on the shoulder of the road next to a crowd of people, all holding cameras. Sure enough, there were two full-grown moose 10 feet from the road. It was surreal — I did not realize how big those suckers are.
We finally got to the trailhead and began our “ascent” of the Blue Lake trail. It’s only 2.55 miles from the trailhead, making it roughly a five-mile round trip. It’s a very manageable hike by most standards — I was in the back the whole time pretending like I wasn’t dying. That being said, my fatigue gave me more time to take in the unbelievable scenery.
At one point Sam turned to me and said, “I didn’t know parts of Colorado like this even existed.”
And I agreed with him. The colors, lakes, wildflowers and striking alpine backdrop amazed me, and I was only 45 minutes outside of Boulder.
As we got closer to Blue Lake we funneled into a valley with a string of smaller lakes, all interconnected. It’s absolutely a view worth stopping for, so we all took a little time to break and breathe in the $10 sight that was worth infinitely more.
When you look down, you can see plenty of alternative trails. Hidden detours can be found all over the place, encouraging you to explore unconventional spots, but with Blue Lake already in sight we had some incentive to stay the course.
When we saw the lake in all of its glory we scoped out a spot where we could relax and jump in (of course). On our way over to the plot we’d picked out we came across two hikers who looked like they were just leaving, and we asked them how the water was.
They gave us a confused look, saying, “Oh, we didn’t get in. That water is all snowmelt. It’s freezing!”
We weren’t going to leave without jumping in but I took their warning to heart.
The look on everyone’s face when they emerged from the water was petrifying. They could barely speak when they got out it was so cold. Of course I succumbed to the pressure, climbing the rock face that would lead me to the near-hypothermic misery my friends were in.
After five minutes of thinking my body was going to shatter, I warmed up and we started the trek back to the car. I definitely earned the short-lived nap on the way back to Boulder.
BLRA gave me a full day of excitement and one of the best nights of sleep I’ve ever had. Hiking spaces in Boulder can become limited and repetitive when it comes to scenery, but Brainard Lake’s melding of breathtaking views with a convenient weekend getaway makes it one of the more versatile and beautiful destinations on the Front Range.
Contact CU Independent Staff Writer Wyatt Carlson at Wyatt.carlson@colorado.edu.
