Colorado Hiking Trails -
Ptarmigan Lake near Buena Vista

One of our favorite Colorado hiking trails, Ptarmigan Lake near Buena Vista is an excellent day-trip from Colorado Springs.

A scenic 2-hour drive gets you into "Big Colorado" where you can hike to this lake above tree line, and the Collegiate Peaks dominate the skyline.

On our drive there, we saw the Chaffee County highway sign that read: This is Colorado. Just look at the photos and you'll see what they mean.

What struck us right away was the intense smell of pine walking along the stream in the first section of the trail. Then the trees open along a rocky trail to reveal the first amazing views. Buena Vista means "good view" for a reason.

Colorado Hiking Trails - Summertime view of Ptarmigan Lake Trail

Colorado Hiking Trails - Ptarmigan Lake near Buena Vista

You'll head up through the forest for a couple of miles, and pass three beaver ponds near tree-line. At first we thought one of these ponds was Ptarmigan Lake, but these are not Ptarmigan Lake.

We saw a few folks camping along the shorelines here. CAUTION: Everyone we met on the trail was extremely friendly. If you don't like friendly people, stay off this trail, and be wary of other Colorado hiking trails.

Above tree-line, we watched a herd of bighorn sheep make their way along some mountain steeps. But still no lake. Where is this place? Keep following the trail.

It criss-crosses a stream, and if you follow it to its source, you'll find the lake-- all 11 acres of it. It's a peaceful place. Very serene. Breathtaking views of Mt. Yale.

We met a few fisherman there too. The lake is so clear, you can see the trout swimming around from the trail. They had a good fishing day, and were nice enough to show me proper bait and fishing techniques for when I return.

This trail is about 6 miles round-trip, and it took us a few hours because we spent a lot of time taking it all in. I imagine camping would be excellent.