Lac Amora-Ruth Roberts Loop

Dogs Leashed

Features Birding · Fishing · Lake · Views · Wildlife

This six-mile rxg is easily accessible from major roads yet boasts unobstructed views of the Front Range and a local lake. Wide gravel paths make this a great choice for walking/hiking, running, or biking. Keep an eye out for wildlife, including prairie dogs all along the trail and eagles at a protected nesting area.

There are no restrooms on the route; the closest are the pit toilets at the Stearns Lake parking lot. There is also no drinking water on the route, and it's quite exposed, so consider bringing your own water.

From Quartz Drive, head to the corner of Quartz and Miramonte and turn right. Cross Wadsworth Parkway (Highway 287) at the light, then turn right and head along the sidewalk for about 200 feet before making a left onto the Lake Link trail, which runs behind some houses. Continue straight on the path down a large hill, avoiding neighborhood access trails on your left. When the trail Ts at the bottom of the hill, turn right and cross the train tracks to enter the Carolyn Holmberg Nature Preserve.

Keep going straight on this trail, passing a small pond on your right, until it Ts, then turn right to follow the Cradleboard Trail. This trail will take you to Stearns Lake; to follow the route, turn right to circle the lake counterclockwise. At this junction you also have the option to turn left and take a short out-and-back to the Stearns Lake parking lot, which has a picnic shelter and pit toilets. After you've gone about a third of the way (counterclockwise) around the lake, the trail will start to curve right away from the lake. Keep an eye out for a brown "trail" arrow sign to keep you on the trail and off farm roads nearby.

Stay on the trail as it passes under Wadsworth Parkway and over a bridge and some more railroad tracks. After the railroad tracks, take the first right to head into the Ruth Roberts Nature Preserve. Follow this gently winding trail uphill, roughly paralleling Wadsworth Parkway, until it Ts into the Lake Link Trail. Turn right onto the Lake Link Trail and follow the main trail, avoiding neighborhood access trails on your left until the trail hits Quartz Drive.

After passing Stearns Lake, you'll see a series of signs with information about the area's farming history.