James Peak Lake: Only Experienced Drivers with Advanced Off Road Skills
James Peak Lake is a high mountain lake at an elevation of 3.431m (11,256ft) above the sea level, located in Gilpin County, in the U.S. state of Colorado.
The road to the lake, set in the basin below the east face of James Peak, is totally unpaved. It’s a shelf road that may intimidate some drivers. Much of this road is above timberline and is steep and rocky in sections. A high-clearance/4-wheel drive vehicle is required. The trail is closed to private vehicles.
Nestled in the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains of North America, within the Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forest, the road to the lake is 1.69 km (1.05 mi) long starting from James Peak Lookout, a parking lot of Kingston Peak. The steep trail follows the remains of a wagon road across loose rock. The road is not plowed in the winter. Note that this trail is very often chilly and windy. The trail climbs above 12,000 feet where snow can linger well into July. The lake was named after Dr. Edwin James, a physician and botanist on Major Stephen H. Long's expedition.
Pic: Corbin