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

Summit Lake Loop &
​Chicago Lakes Overlook Trail

Summit Lake Park

Date Hiked: August 30, 2017

Distance: .75 mi (RT)
Elevation Gain: 150 ft
Elevation Min/Max: 12,750 to 12,858 ft
Trailhead Lat/Long: 39º 35' 55" N; 105º 38' 27" W
Managing Agency: Denver Mountain Parks/USFS
Fee: Yes

Summit Lake Park Map

DIRECTIONS: From Denver head west on I-70 to Idaho Springs and turn south onto 103 following the signs to Mount Evans.  At Echo Lake, turn right onto Mount Evans Road and pass through the entrance gate (fee required).  Follow Mount Evans Road all the way to the large parking area at Summit. 

Summit Lake Park is a busy, but wonderful park.  It sits high over 12,000 feet at the base of Mt. Evans 12,264 ft and two 13ers, Mts. Spaulding and Warren.  The park is accessible by the paved Mount Evans Road, and while you have to pay to access the road, it is one of the few ways to reach the high country by car.  

There are two short trails at Summit Lake Park but you can access various long trails from the parking area as well as climb Mt. Evans via the wonderful Mount Evans Trail.  Within the park itself, you can access the lake shore via the Summit Lake Loop or walk to the incredible Chicago Lakes Overlook Trail.  

The Summit Lake Loop is short but runs from the parking area to the lake and along a small part of the lake.  There is no trail that loops around the entire lake, just the eastern shore.  The Chicago Lakes Overlook Trail passes through a shelter and some educational signs to an overlook of the Chicago Lakes Basin.  The view from the overlook is simply fantastic and you can hike down to Chicago Lake for a short but strenuous adventure.  At the overlook, you can also stroll down to the sandy lake shore.  

Visiting Summit Lake Park is less about hiking and more about being able to leisurely spend time at high altitude.  If you visit in the early mornings or in the late afternoons you may just be able to find some solitude and solace in one of the Front Range's most iconic yet popular destinations.     
© 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.