Windsor Lake is a 2.8 mile lightly trafficked out and back trail located near Leadville, Colorado that features beautiful wild flowers. The trail is rated as difficult and is primarily used for hiking, camping, and fishing. Dogs are also able to use this trail but must be kept on leash.
dogs on leash
camping
fishing
hiking
forest
lake
views
wild flowers
wildlife
From the west side of Leadville, on Hwy. 24, take McWethy Dr. N W to Turquois Lake Rd., drive west to Hagerman Pass rd. to the left , and follow it to the trailhead at Hagerman Tunnel,
Hiked 10/27/2018. Did not meet anyone else on the trail today. Snow on the road to the trailhead but still accessible via 4WD SUV (nothing dicey yet, but slow going). Just like the last post, I did not have spikes or snow shoes. Took one hour to the lake and almost as long on the return due to snow. Had poles which helped. Gorgeous area and great for a short dayhike.
Short day hike with incredible views! We saw three other people our entire time hiking, so if you're looking to get away from the crowds you'll definitely enjoy this hike!
The road to the trailhead may be inaccessible due to snow, so that's something to consider if you are planning on hiking this during the winter. If the road is inaccessible due to snow, it may tack on an extra 3-4 miles one way.
When we went, the road had a good bit of snow on it, but nothing a Subaru couldn't handle. The snow made the hike a lot harder than it normally is. We did the hike without YakTrax/Micro Spikes or Snow Shoes, but I'd definitely recommend them due to sections of steep rocky terrain that we found difficult to grip in snowy/icy conditions.
Short but sweet! A real gem!
lovely and quiet hike. challenging. great drive up...lots to see en route.
Some steep sections, but by the time it starts to wear on you, you're already at the lake.
Made it up to the lake in about 40 minutes with a handful of quick breaks to catch my breath.
Beautiful views, especially with the fall colors in full swing!
Saw about 8 other groups of people, including some folks camping on the lake.
Some steep sections but well worth it.
Fun with great views and solitude on a weekday afternoon. Cool mining cave on the way up, too!
Outstanding payoff for a relatively short hike. Make sure you continue on the trail past the first, smaller lake.
Steep but fun. A great short venture.
Incredibly steep but short hike with rewarding views at the top. Gorgeous lake, and despite the busy trail we still found ourselves alone at the top for most of the morning on Saturday.
Beautiful lake at the top of a short, steep hike! Great hammock spots!
Great hike with great views. My three legged dog really enjoyed the smaller lake before Windsor
Great hike. Short, steep, and peaceful. Please remember you entered a Wilderness Area keep your dogs on a leash, don't pick wild flowers, and if a fire ban is in place don't light a fire no matter how small.
Definitely not moderate, but hard! I loved how short it was for a change in mileage but it was VERY steep. So beautiful and worth it of course
Backpacked and stayed two nights at Windsor. Pretty short, but the incline makes it very hard with 35 lbs on my back. Not sure I would call it moderate. There are two lakes and the scenery makes the difficult climb worth it. Would be a great day hike. We had a marmot at our site and he destroyed my cork hiking poles the second night, so beware! Otherwise, a perfect weekend.
This was so pretty! You can definitely make it too the lake now. The snow is mostly gone, just one large snow pack right before the lake. Lots of nice views on the way up. Pretty steep. Follows a waterfall for half of the way. Theres a pond on the right before the lake! I may have mistook that for the lake if someone hadn’t told me :)
awesome hike. snow was minimal on the trail. amazing views along the way spectacular views from the tunnel area. the old town and railroad has some really cool history
Jen H.
Trail still has a lot of snow making it impassible. Large snow drifts covering trail so hard to navigate. If you don’t mind wet feet for half way you can get to open meadows.
Made it to the lake today with just a little bit of postholing near the top. The snow is about 3/4 of the way up but most of it was strong enough to hike on and we did not use spikes either. The views with the snow and partially frozen lake are worth it. What a beautiful hike!
We took this trail too early in the year (June 2nd) and 3/4 of the way up we ran into way too much snow. Had to turn around like several others we saw because the trail was hidden by the snow. Looks like a fun hike but I would make sure you do this in mid to late June.
Gorgeous all the way
Great elevation gain in a short distance. Beautiful alpine lake with fields of wild flowers. Lovely area for backpacking.
Beautiful hike. You will reach a small lake after the steepest portion of the hike. Windsor Lake is just around the corner from that small lake.
Great hike! Challenging inclines but all worth the stunning views of both lakes at the top!
Well maintained trail, all the steepest parts reward you with some incredible views!
Stunning views.
This was our "warm up" hike for Elbert the following day. Very nice hike. Enjoyed relaxing by the lake!
Great hike! Very steep, but perfect if you're looking for a quick hike to do. Little slippery at points due to mud and snow at the time we went! Overall, would recommend! :)
We (husband, dog and I) hiked this trail yesterday, and due to some extra walking around the lake hiked more like 3.5 miles. The hike is short but steep. It was cool at the lake but wasn't too windy. I would do it again!
Great trail! Short but very steep most of the way.