Abyss Lake Hike Guide

October 12, 2023 The Virtual Sherpa Comments 0 Comment

Abyss Lake is a long day hike, trail run or backpacking destination located in the Mt Blue Sky Wilderness of Colorado. Although most who travel up to this lake extend the trip into multiple days, it’s possible to complete this hike in one day or as a trail run. In fact, in my opinion, this is one of the finest trail runs in the area due the seclusion, runnable terrain and beauty this trail offers. The alpine lake sits right underneath the popular Sawtooth ridge that connects 14ers Mt Bierstadt and Mt Blue Sky.

Abyss Lake Hike Guide

Abyss Lake Rating: ★★★★★ (5/5 Stars)

Distance: 16.5 Miles RT

Elevation Start: 9,635ft

High Point: 12,650ft

Total Elevation Gain: 3,600ft

Estimated Time to Complete: 5-10 Hours (One Day) 2 Days (Backpacking)

Difficulty: Difficult What does this mean?

Class: Class 1 – What does this mean?

Season: June – October

Check the Weather Forecast

Directions to Abyss Lake

Trailhead: Abyss Trailhead

Getting Here: From Grant, Colorado take Guanella Pass for about 5 miles to reach the large parking area on your right. If coming from the North, take Guanella Pass for about 19 miles to reach the trailhead on your left. This road is paved but does have seasonal closures from the North due to Snow. In the winter you can typically reach this trailhead from the South but snow can cause road closures.

Parking: This parking lot can fit about 20 cars and on most weekends will not be super competitive to find a spot. However, the lot can fill up on busy summer weekends and there are no backup parking options in the area. The trailhead does not have any restrooms.

Fee: None

Summary

Dogs: Abyss Lake is a dog friendly trail but since the entire hike is in a Wilderness Area, please keep your pets leashed.

Camping: Generally speaking, Abyss Lake offers a ton of different options for camping. There are backcountry sites along almost the entire trail but the most popular spot would be up at Helms Lake, near treeline and along the way to Abyss. Read more about camping in Wilderness areas here. Near the trailhead there is also an option to camp at Burning Bear Campground.

Hike Xfactor(s): If hiking later or earlier in the season, be sure that Guanella Pass is open since it does have seasonal road closures due to snow from the North. In general, I would recommend having a snow free trail or these 16 miles will feel like 1,600 with the amount of postholing you would likely face. Snow in this area can get quite deep starting as early as October.

Hike Tip(s): Regardless of your choice to hike Abyss Lake in one day or multiple, be sure to have a water filter and take advantage of the many water sources along the way. Even later in the summer these sources should be reliable and hopefully can save you some weight in your bag/vest.

Best Views: This hike is beautiful from start to finish with the exception of the somewhat repetitive first few miles. However, this trail really has it all: stunning alpine views, a pristine alpine lake, rugged cliffs, stream crossings and loads of wildflowers. This is an excellent option for fall foliage and if you time it right, wildflowers. Although the lake is the endpoint of this hike, my favorite views were just south of Abyss Lake.

Make it a Loop: This trail is an out and back but there are so many options to extend your day or backpacking trip. The most common would be to camp at Helms Lake on the way up to Abyss Lake and then tackle the Tour De Abyss or simply tag Mt Bierstadt via its southeast ridge.