Hiking to Lake Katherine | Gorgeous Lake in Mount Zirkel Wilderness

Hiking to Lake Katherine is an excellent and rewarding day hike in Mount Zirkel Wilderness. Lake Katherine Trailhead is located about 45 miles west of Walden in north-central Colorado. This relatively short hike is a great way to access the beauty and solitude of the area. After hiking to Lake Katherine, there are many opportunities to extend the hike and even visit other beautiful lakes in the area.

Also in Mount Zirkel Wilderness: Zirkel Circle

Quick Info: Hiking to Lake Katherine

Distance: 4.5 miles roundtrip (we clocked in around 5.5 miles roundtrip)

Difficulty: Easy to moderate

Directions: Click here to get directions to Lake Katherine trailhead

Good to Know: There are no restrooms at the trailhead

Our Experience Hiking to Lake Katherine

The hike to Lake Katherine is accessed via Lake Katherine Trailhead in Routt National Forest. From Lake
Katherine Trailhead, you can access Lake Katherine (2 miles) or Bighorn Lake (3 miles) or combine the two for a solid and scenic adventure. Lake Katherine Trailhead can also be used to access trails and explore even deeper into Mount Zirkel Wilderness.

From Lake Katherine Trailhead, we geared up and began hiking to Katherine Lake. To start, the trail is pretty mellow as it leads through the conifers and a great display of wildflowers before entering into Mount Zirkel Wilderness. Along the way, there are a few little boardwalks over the muddy trail and a few other muddy obstacles.

And before we knew it, we were at the junction where the trail splits to either Bighorn Lake or Lake Katherine.

At the junction, we took the left split to continue hiking to Lake Katherine. After about a quarter mile, we
reached the big water crossing. Luckily there were some well placed logs where we put our balance to the test and reached the other side dry.

From the water crossing to Lake Katherine, the trail becomes more steep with more downed trees to climb over and duck under.

As the trail climbed through the woods, we could hear the water rushing nearby. And at a couple of the
switchbacks, we stopped to look at the river as it cut through a small canyon and created a beautiful waterfall.

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Eventually the climb through the woods mellowed out and brought us to the shore of beautiful Lake Katherine. But we found that the view was too obstructed by the many trees along the shoreline. So we followed the trail further and found that it climbed steeply and then descended steeply on the other side. And the views of Lake Katherine and the incredible surrounding scenery really opened up.

As an alternative to the steep climb for the amazing view we found that we were able to walk in the water along the shoreline to get around the boulders and trees.

And eventually we found a great spot down by the shore where we could take in the magnificent landscape.

The pictures speak louder than words here but notice the beautiful blue color of the water and the snow melt forming long waterfalls down the steep, dramatic mountain sides. What an amazing place to be able to experience!

After soaking in all the beauty and finally getting annoyed by the mosquitoes, we headed back the way we came. And just to help you gauge the trail use, while we were hiking to Lake Katherine we only encountered one other couple on the trail.

Thanks for Keeping Up with The Lost Longboarder!

We hope you enjoyed our article about hiking to Lake Katherine. If you’d like to see some other beautiful hikes, feel free to check out the links below:

• Backpacking North Halfmoon Lakes + Mt Massive Peak
• Hiking Hilton Lakes Trail
• Backpacking Fall Creek Trail
• Hiking Lower Monument Loop

We love getting out, hiking and seeing new places as often as we can! And when we’re not adventuring, we’re working on our hand painted one of a kind longboards! If you’d like to check out our latest lineup, head over to our Lost Coast Longboarding Shop!

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