Deluge Lake Trail

Deluge Lake Trail is in the southern Gore Range, part of the Rocky Mountains in the US state of Colorado. It is located in the Eagles Nest Wilderness, Holy Cross Ranger District, White River National Forest, Summit County. Deluge Lake Trail is north of Interstate 70 in Vail.

Deluge Lake Trail is six miles long to its destination of Deluge Lake. The Deluge Lake Trail rises from 8,600 feet at the trailhead to 9,210 feet within the first hour of hiking. Through dense stands of berries among the aspen, the trail ascends over Gore Creek. Here, serviceberry bushes, Amelanchier arborea, provide a bountiful food supply for bears attempting to gain weight before the onset of winter. Mountain gooseberry, Ribes inerme, also lines the trail as it winds among the aspen and ancient spruce. Higher, among the dense lodgepole pines, hollygrape, Mahonia repens, provides a ground cover of darkening fruits.

After four hours of climbing, the trail reaches a crest 3,172 feet above the trailhead and drops to the lakeshore at 11,690 feet. Drifts of snow on the steep rocky slopes continue to melt into Deluge Lake throughout the summer season. Beside the icy water of the lake, the porcelain blooms of alpine primrose, Primula parryi, and stiff red-topped stems of Kings crown, Clementsia rhodantha, brighten the shore. Peering southwest from the outlet of Deluge Lake, the summit of Red Benchmark, at 11,816 feet, is visible. A description of Duluge Lake Trail can be found in Greatest Hikes in Central Colorado: Summit and Eagle Counties.

References

• ASIN B003ZUY8NM, Greatest Hikes in Central Colorado: Summit and Eagle Counties