Date Hiked: September 20, 2025

Distance: 2 mi (RT)

Elevation Gain: 150 ft

Elevation Min/Max: 8,273 to 8,394 ft

Trailhead Lat/Long: 40.53485, -106.78417

Managing Agency: U.S. Forest Service

Fee: Yes

Directions:

From Hwy 40 in Steamboat Springs, head north on 5th ave and bear right onto Maple Street.  Turn left onto Amethyst Drive which becomes Routt County Road #36.  Turn right onto Routt County Road #38, Buffalo Pass Road, for 3.5 miles to the Trailhead and large parking area. The Trailhead is located to the south of the road.

Hike Description:

The two popular, easy, and amazing hikes at the start of the Buffalo Pass Area northwest of Steamboat Springs are the Panorama Loop and the Fiddlehead Loop. This area is a local hot spot for hiking and in mid to late September, for soaking in the fall colors.  The Fiddlehead Loop has everything you want in a fall colors hike; trails immersed in golden aspen forest, views of rolling hills of aspen trees, and something you didn’t know you wanted, undergrowth of orange, yellow, brown, and green ferns.  

Regardless of the direction of this hike, the trail starts in the aspen forest and ends in aspen forest.  In between, the trail weaves through forests, across open meadows, and circles Dry Lake, which you don’t ever really get to see along the trail.  The name is a good one, this is not a hike around a lake…  The views from the northern portion of the trail are wonderful and stretch out across the Soda Creek Valley and back towards Strawberry Park.  

The trail is well signed and easy to follow making this a simple but stunning hike.  At two miles, the hike is not too short and not too long, perfect for a half day adventure and a great introduction to the Buffalo Pass area.