Devil's Thumb Lake Loop (15 miles)

View of Devil's Thumb from just above Devil's Thumb lake.

The Indian Peak’s wilderness is equal parts beautiful, accessible (many trailheads just 30-45 minutes from Boulder, Colorado), and busy. The Devil’s Thumb Lake loop is my personal favorite in the area and a great way to experience the high alpine. The trail is well-maintained and easy to follow, but it’s a challenging hike with a lot of elevation gain. The views are worth it, though!

By the numbers

Distance: 18.5 miles

Elevation gain: 3,500 feet

Time from Boulder, Colorado: 45 minutes

Difficulty:

Beauty/Epicness:

What makes it special?

Incredible views and the air is thin with much of it above treeline. There’s nothing quite like hiking in the high alpine - it’s perhaps my favorite part of backpacking. Indian Peaks brings this in spades and this is my personal favorite in the area. A good blend of challenge while being achievable, scenery, and alternate hiking options. There are few other trips in such density so close to town. It’s well worth a visit!

Campsites and permits

Due to the high traffic, permits are required for all campping in Indian Peaks Wilderness between June 1 and September 15. They fill up far in advance, so you’ll have to plan ahead - or try and grab some last-minute availability as they open up.

In addition, trailhead parking lots fill up early in the morning, so plan to get there early or take the shuttle from the Nederland Park and Ride.

Trailhead

Start at the Hessie trailhead. It fills up quickly, so on weekends, or if arriving sometime other than very early in the morning, plan on taking the shuttle from the Nederland Park and Ride. The shuttle is free and runs every 15 minutes.

Route map

Alternate route

Looking for a more challenging and unique trip? Rather than looping back out of the alpine to the starting point, continue along and drop west into Winter Park for . This makes as a fun end to the trip - straight into Hideaway Park, the home to many summer concerts and other activities. You could arrange someone to pick you up at this point. Or, enjoy some good food or book a hotel / AirBnB in Winter Park, stay overnight, and return to your starting point the next day.