Lost Lake via Hessie Trail is a 4 mile heavily trafficked out and back trail located near Nederland, Colorado that features a lake and is rated as moderate. The trail is primarily used for hiking, camping, snowshoeing, and backpacking and is accessible year-round. Dogs are also able to use this trail but must be kept on leash.
There is a shuttle that runs between Nederland High school and the Hessie trailhead. Visit https://www.bouldercounty.org/open-space/parks-and-trails/hessie-trailhead/
Boulder Ranger District 2140 Yarmouth Avenue Boulder, CO 80301 Phone: 303-541-2500
A few parts can get very slippery: ice spikes, micro spikes or poles recommended.
Lost Lake is accessed from the Hessie Trailhead just outside the southeast boundary of the Indian Peaks Wilderness near Nederland, Colorado. From downtown Nederland, go south on Highway 72 for .5 miles to County Road 130 and make a right. You will see a sign for Eldora Ski Resort at this junction. In the summer, catch the free shuttle from the RTD Park-n-Ride in Nederland.
January 25, 2021Great trails all over the area. Obviously busy on weekends, went on a Monday and had zero problems parking close to the trail head. Snow pack, perfectly doable without any extra but if you want more traction for hills and the lake grab the crampons.
January 25, 2021Used snowshoes but spikes would also be fine. Limited parking keeps trail from getting too busy. Got there before 8 and found a spot without any problem but was about 1/2 full. Nice scenic route to beautiful lake at the top.
January 25, 2021January 25, 2021Spikes were helpful, didn't find poles or snowshoes necessary. Beautiful hike! Lots of dogs too. Parking is alongside in/out road, was full at 10am on Sunday when I got down but started seeing a lot of people around 830am. Not a ton of parking and narrow turnaround at the end. Good to be respectful of speed limits near trailhead.
January 24, 2021Bout 11am on Saturday • New 2 area, winter hiking, it's gear, etc. Been checking out best 1st hiking real woods area 2 start off in WITHOUT ANY special gear after doing the EASY Barker Dam trail (3 miles) in city Nederland, CO several times 2 prepare. Ended up being a perfect fit! Had regular hiking shoes, which wasn't perfect fit but worked. Next time, unless more snow, clamp-on spiky gadgets on bottom of shoes is much safer! Was lots of hiking traffic (many with proper gear) & lots of dogs, which was fun & cute! That much traffic made us feel really safe from threat of possible agressive wild things being brand new 2 area. It also showed us a variety of helpful gear options for future. Saw clamp-ons on regular hiking shoes a lot, more snow shoes & few on skis. Turned around bout 1/2 mile before lake. But, highly recommend this for beginners who have already hiked 3 to 5 miles for a while. We did not know details of trail prior & found the mostly all up hill aspect the hardest since we were hiking no hilly areas b4. But, we had prepared 4 more difficulty by hiking every other day 3 to 5 miles. SUPER BEAUTIFUL FOREST, VIEWS & FRIENDLY HIKERS! HOPE THIS HELPS NEWBIES & HoPPy Trails!
January 23, 2021
January 23, 2021January 22, 2021Beautiful day - hiked in boots alone. Snow well packed down on trail and easy to follow.
January 21, 2021easy with spikes.
January 18, 2021Great hike! I used snowshoes but my friend used micro spikes and was fine.
January 18, 2021Trail and weather conditions were great. Enough snow for skis or snowshoes but packed enough you can hike it it with micro spikes.
January 18, 2021A very scenic trail with beautiful lakeviews at the top. Much more strenuous than hiking it without snow, but we didn't need spikes for this one. We arrived after the mornimg crowds (around 12:30pm) and found a parking spot quickly. Highly recommend this trail for getting started with winter hiking.
January 18, 2021Windy and cold today! Still gorgeous, but it was a pretty hard hike in the snow. Lake is pretty, people were ice skating. I wouldn’t recommend this for those with weak lungs
January 17, 2021Went on Sunday morning, got there around 10 am and snagged almost the last parking spot. Finished around noon and there were some traffic jams with others trying to park. Trail was snow covered but packed down. Some kind of shoe spikes would be helpful but not totally necessary if you have good boots. Lake is frozen and really pretty. Also, AWD vehicle would be helpful but not totally necessary if you are confident on snow and have good tires. My Ford Escape did just fine.
January 17, 2021Short hike with moderately well packed snow. You’ll want either snowshoes or spikes to get to the lake. If you choose to get back on the main trail and go beyond lost lake, you’ll want snowshoes. We parked around 7:45am and there spots for our three cars but when we left around 11am, parking was full. You don’t need a high clearance but you do need 4 wheel drive. We saw a huge Ford work truck sliding backwards on the road and a Prius didn’t make it either but my low clearance Subaru WRX had no issues. It was beautiful out there with the snowfall and we saw a moose when we were in pretty deep.
January 16, 2021Parking was fine today at 8:30am Friday, but it was VERY windy at the trailhead. Once you got behind the trees all was good. We hardly saw anyone. Trail is packed down, yak tracks were more then enough.
January 13, 2021Hiked this on Jan 9, 2021 Parking is pretty horrendous. The trail is beautiful. I went up wanting to snowshoe but ended up just putting on clamps even though they weren’t needed. I’m sure when the trail gets more worn and icy they will he needed. This is a good, short hike with a great payoff at the lake.
January 11, 2021Great sceneries on the way up. We didn't really need to use the snowshoes till the last half a mile. You could use spikes on your boots and you should be fine. Parking fills up quickly and I saw a park ranger patrolling.
January 10, 2021This was my first time snowshoeing and I had a blast. Great workout, great views, great air. I would definitely recommend!
January 9, 2021January 9, 2021January 9, 2021This trail does not disappoint- great day today. Not much snow out there really. Spikes were useful - snowshoes only needed if you wanted to go “off-trail” at the Lake or further up. Got cold 4 degrees I think when when the snow came in. Fun little hike great for all levels as it is short and beautiful.
