GO HIKE COLORADO
Get in Touch:
  • HOME
  • ABOUT
  • HIKES BY REGION
    • DENVER AREA >
      • Denver Mountain Parks
      • Jefferson County Open Space
      • Lakewood Parks
      • Denver Area Greenways
    • BOULDER AREA
    • DOUGLAS COUNTY
    • FORT COLLINS AREA
    • COLORADO SPRINGS AREA
    • FRONT RANGE
    • TENMILE & MOSQUITO RANGES
    • GORE RANGE
    • SANGRE DE CRISTO MOUNTAINS
    • PARK RANGE
    • SAWATCH RANGE
    • ELK MOUNTAINS
    • SAN JUAN MOUNTAINS
    • THE FLAT TOPS
    • GRAND MESA
    • COLORADO PLATEAU
    • EASTERN PLAINS
  • NATIONAL PARK HIKES
    • BENT'S OLD FORT NATIONAL HISTORIC SITE
    • BLACK CANYON OF THE GUNNISON NATIONAL PARK
    • COLORADO NATIONAL MONUMENT
    • CURECANTI NATIONAL RECREATION AREA
    • DINOSAUR NATIONAL MONUMENT
    • FLORISSANT FOSSIL BEDS NATIONAL MONUMENT
    • MESA VERDE NATIONAL PARK
    • ROCKY MOUNTAIN NATIONAL PARK
    • GREAT SAND DUNES NATIONAL PARK
    • HOVENWEEP NATIONAL MONUMENT
    • SAND CREEK MASSACRE NATIONAL HISTORIC SITE
    • YUCCA HOUSE NATIONAL MONUMENT
  • HIKES BY CATEGORY
    • HIKES TO ALPINE LAKES
    • HIKES TO PEAKS & PASSES
    • HIKES THROUGH CANYONS
    • HIKES WITH FALL COLORS
    • HIKES ALONG THE I-70 CORRIDOR
    • HIKES ON PAVED TRAILS
    • HIKES FOR KIDS
    • HIKES TO WATERFALLS
    • HIKES ALONG RIVERS
    • HIKES WITH ROCK FORMATIONS
    • HIKES WITH WILDFLOWERS
    • WINTER HIKES
  • NEWS
  • WEBCAMS
  • $UPPORT GHC
  • INTERACTIVE MAP

Lake Emma
Pike National Forest

Date Hiked: August 22, 2021

Distance: 1.6 mi (RT)
Elevation Gain: 650 ft
Elevation Min/Max: 11.962 to 12,645 ft
Trailhead Lat/Long:
Managing Agency: U.S. Forest Service
Fee: Yes (Town of Alma Parking Fee)

Kite Lake Campground Webpage (USFS)
Picture

Directions: From Alma, CO head west on County Road 8, there is a small sign for Kite Lake.  Soon you will enter the National Forest boundary and there will be more signs for Kite Lake.  The road starts off rough but passable by most vehicles.  As you get closer to Kite Lake, past the turn off for Windy Ridge, the road get rougher and rougher.  4WD or AWD high clearance vehicle is required.  After you pass the pay station, there are numerous places to park on the side of the road, and hike the rest of the way to the Kite Lake Trailhead.  Keep in mind that the parking at the trailhead fills up quickly so don't kill your vehicle trying to get there.  

Lake Emma is a short but sweet hike to a beautiful high alpine lake that sits at the base of some of Colorado's most famous 14ers.  Most people who visit the Kite Lake Trailhead are there to tackle the DeCaLiBron...see here for that must-do hike...   Many of this hikers are  completely unaware that one of the prettiest lakes in the state is just a  short hike away.  

The hike is short, but you are starting at almost 12,000 feet and climbing about 650 feet in elevation over just 8/10ths of a mile, so the hiking is not easy.  However, for your effort you are treated to near constant views of the surrounding 14,000 and 13,000 foot peaks.    

Starting from the Kite Lake parking area, behind the outhouse, there are a few campsites with a well established trail leading up behind Mt. Democrat.  Follow this trail as it winds up across rock gardens to a small stream.  In the later season, the stream is just a trickle and the boulders underneath are blackened by the minerals.  In the early season this is most likely a waterfall so use extra caution.  When the trail reaches the stream, things get a bit steep.  Scramble up the trail staying to the left of the stream.  Cross the stream near the top, should be obvious, and climb another few feet to Emma Lake.

The lake has a rocky peninsula and that should be your destination for the best views.  When the water levels are low you can rock hop to the peninsula, otherwise just walk along the rocky shore.  Surrounding the lake is a jagged ridge that leads up to Mt. Democrat and Mt. Buckskin (13,796 ft) to the south.  The ridge makes for an epic backdrop to the lake.  

This is a quick hike and the perfect warm up if you are staying at campground and want to acclimate before tackling the 14ers.  It's also a great hike on its own and a great way to spend a few hours in the Mosquito Range.  
© Go Hike Colorado, 2020.  All Rights Reserved. 
Use of photographs without prior authorization is
​strictly prohibited.


Contact us at:
[email protected]
Legal Disclaimer - Information provided on this site is based upon our own observations, always double check information with the appropriate land management agency before heading into the backcountry.  Backcountry travel is inherently dangerous, please take all proper precautions.  Go Hike Colorado is not responsible for injury or incident.