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A beautiful trail leading into the Comanche Peak Wilderness with an impressive cirque at the top.


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Map Key

5.6

Miles

9.0

KM

Point to Point

11,002' 3,353 m

High

9,014' 2,747 m

Low

1,989' 606 m

Up

2' 1 m

Down

7%

Avg Grade (4°)

37%

Max Grade (20°)

Dogs Leashed

Features Lake · River/Creek · Views · Waterfall

This is a high travel area. Camping is limited to developed campsites in the Cirque Meadow ONLY. No camping within a mile or more of the cirque. The camping boundary is well signed on the trail.

Description

From the Tom Bennett Campground continue up FS 145 a very short way to the fork with FS 147. There is a trailhead sign there, though with a 4WD you can drive part way up FS 147. A normal clearance 4WD will go less than a half mile before having to pull off the road. A higher clearance 4WD can make it to a gate about 3/4 mile up FS 147.

The road will slowly converge down to a singletrack. There are a few tougher areas to navigate as you get higher on the trail, though there are plenty of cairns to mark the way if you look around. The trail gets steeper as you approach Cirque Lake, then it's a quick jaunt up to Emmaline Lake from there.

Contacts

Shared By:

Joel Larner

Trail Ratings

  4.4 from 16 votes

#602

Overall
  4.4 from 16 votes
5 Star
50%
4 Star
44%
3 Star
6%
2 Star
0%
1 Star
0%
Trail Rankings

#108

in Colorado

#602

Overall
9 Views Last Month
4,717 Since Jul 10, 2016
Intermediate Intermediate

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8%
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Photos

Panorama at Emmaline Lake.
Jul 10, 2016 near Estes Park, CO
Cirque Lake.
Jul 10, 2016 near Estes Park, CO
Falls next to trail
Aug 1, 2018 near Estes Park, CO
Waterfall enroute to the Cirque Lakes.
Jul 10, 2016 near Estes Park, CO
Emmaline Lake, with runoff feeding a waterfall
Aug 6, 2018 near Estes Park, CO
View from Cirque Meadows
Aug 6, 2018 near Estes Park, CO

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Check-Ins

Apr 30, 2022
Donald Blake
2h 47m
Jul 19, 2020
Tom Hanson
Backpack to campsite 4
Jun 27, 2020
Matt Twyman
Gorgeous! First stretch to Cirque Meadows is a wide and well travelled trail. The stretch beyond to Emmaline Lake is spectacular. 12.6mi — 6h 16m
Jun 15, 2019
Aeravi Link
snow shoes 9mi
Jun 8, 2019
Samantha B
The hike up to cirque meadows was mellow, as always. Lots of snow from the meadow to the lake. No snowshoes and we were postholin' the whole way! 12.2mi
May 5, 2019
Rebecca Falgoust
Aug 5, 2018
Cam Morton
Says 5.6 mi, but that’s assuming you drive up a narrow 4x4 road that seems to be part of the trail. I mapped 6.4 to Emmaline lake from the trailhead 12.8mi
Aug 5, 2018
Ro Lyon
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