~6.7 Mile Roundtrip

Nearly 2,000 Feet Elevation Change

Extremely Difficult, Grueling, Steep, & Beautiful Hike to a Gorgeous Alpine Lake Surrounded by 1,000 Foot Cliffs & Filled with Rainbow Trout

This hike is one of the hardest hikes I’ve ever done and I am quite the “experienced” meanderer or hiker.

From the unmarked parking lot on FR 105 off of Forest Road 250 which is off of Highway 17 in the San Juan Mountains you descend to Saddle Creek, cross a small bridge, and then you ascend non-stop for almost 2,000 feet to Bear Lake. The entire hike is ascending switchbacks through subalpine meadows and forests which are filled with fallen trees that are covered in spikey broken limbs that provide many opportunities to injure oneself. Towards the end of the hike the trees become more grueling to step or climb over or crawl under but again, it’s all worth it.

Towards the top, the trees open up and the trail becomes quite narrow with a very steep drop off but the views of the Saddle Creek Valley are gorgeous. This is also the most exposed part of the hike.

But then you reach the top of the hike where it splits into 721.1, you descend for the first time since Saddle Creek and before long you’re at the banks of the absolutely picturesque and gorgeous Bear Lake (not to be confused with the lake of the same name in the Rocky Mountain National Park). I am still kicking myself for not bringing my fly rod because as I threw down my pack and my dog laid on the cool ground, a beautiful trout was seen just off the bank, mere feet away.

Obviously since the way up was steep and completely ascending, the way down is equally as steep as you descend. It is grueling and challenging and I wanted to quit so many times, especially towards the end when I was taking baby steps on the sheer trail, but if you keep going you will be rewarded with an incredibly unforgettable scene.