Welcome to the Colorado backcountry

The vast acreage of wilderness and backcountry beauty in Colorado make it one of the more popular locations for camping, backpacking, and day-hiking.

In addition to a eight National Parks and Monuments, Colorado boasts an equal number of Wilderness Areas, millions of acres of National Forest and BLM land, and over three dozen state parks.

From mountains to deserts, and grasslands to canyons, one could spend a lifetime hiking the trails of Colorado and not cover all of them.

Lyle Lake in the Holy Cross Wilderness Area of Colorado


The first time we hiked to Lyle Lake, it instantly became one of our favorites.  We've been back several times since, including an overnight stay last summer.  I'm sure we'll return again this coming summer.

The Lyle and Mormon Lakes trailhead is on the road toward Hagerman Pass, in the upper reaches of the Frying Pan River valley.  Starting at over 10,000 feet, with a very moderate elevation gain, one hits the 11,300 foot Lyle Lake relatively quickly.  Take some photos, grab a snack and drink, then continue around the lake toward the saddle that leads to Mormon Lake.  The overall round trip is a medium-distance day-hike that offers incredible views of the Holy Cross Wilderness Area, wildflowers, and more.