Chicago Lakes Hike Guide
The Chicago Lakes trail is in the Mt Blue Sky Wilderness and brings hikers up to a pair of high alpine lakes located under the popular 14er. The hike starts at Echo Lake and then works by the Idaho Springs Reservoir until finally reaching the lower and upper Chicago Lakes. This hike is beautiful for those looking to maximize the amount of water they are seeing on a hike. Chicago Lakes is a good moderate hike that offers a chance to see wildlife, wildflowers and sees steady traffic throughout the Summer months.
Chicago Lakes Quick Facts
Chicago Lakes Hike Rating: ★★★ (⅗ Stars)
Distance: 10.2 Miles RT – Slightly shorter from other parking areas
Elevation Start: From Echo Lake: 10,650ft
Highest Point: 11,755ft (Upper Lake)
Total Elevation Gain: 2,200ft
Estimated Time to Complete: 5-6 Hours Total
Difficulty: Moderate – Difficulty System Explained
Class: Class 2 – What does this mean?
Season: Year round – However, expect snow/icy conditions November – May
Weather: Check the Weather Forecast
Crowds: Moderate
Directions to Chicago Lakes
Trailhead: Echo Lake
Getting Here: From Idaho Springs, take CO-103 North for 12.7 miles until you reach Echo Lake on your right. If you are starting the hike from here, you can park anywhere along the lake, but your goal is to get to the Northwest side of the lake where the Chicago Lakes trail starts.
Parking: I always park at the Echo Lake lodge when I hike Chicago Lakes which, technically, adds a bit more hiking. However, parking here is MUCH easier. However, what I linked above is a bit closer with less parking. Really, you can park anywhere along the Echo Lake area and just work your way to the trails to the West (far side) of the lake.
Fees: There is no fee to hike the Chicago Lakes
Summary
Dogs: Chicago Lakes is a dog friendly hike and one I would recommend for any dog. There is a bit of scrambling right after the first lake but this should be fine for most dogs who are used to hiking. Almost this entire hike is in a Wilderness area where dogs are required to be leashed.
Camping: Camping for this hike can be tricky. If you are hiking from Echo Lake, once you enter the Wilderness, you can disperse camp as long as you follow the regulations for doing so.
Make it a Loop: Chicago Lakes has a ton of options to extend the hike. The most logical would be adding on Summit Lake or Mt Blue Sky. Feeling really ambitious? Reverse the Sawtooth Ridge and head over to Mt Bierstadt.
Hike Tip (s): Take some time to explore the social trails down to the lower Chicago Lake if you are wanting some peace and seclusion from the other hikers on the trail. I would also recommend bringing a map or gpx file on this hike (and every hike) as there are several trail junctions you need to navigate.
Trail X Factors: Most hikes, you hike up and then back down. Not the Chicago Lakes. On the way to these two alpine lakes, you change elevation twice. Starting flat, then uphill, then downhill then back uphill. On the way back you are going downhill almost the entire hike until the very end where you have to climb up again. This can get annoying on tired legs.
Best Views: The spots that stick out to me on this hike are: working down to Idaho Springs Reservoir (views of the mountains in the distance) and of course at the Chicago Lakes themselves. Overall though, the views on this hike can get a tiny bit monotonous as you are in a valley the entire hike.
Gear Needed
- Men’s Trail Runners
- La Sportiva Cyklon
- La Sportiva Trango Hiking Boots (Men’s)
- Backpack (Winter)
- Backpack (Summer)
- Sunglasses
- Base Layers
- T Shirt
- Mid Layer
- Rain Jacket / Shell
- Pants
- Shorts
- Socks
- Food & Water
- Optional: Water Filter
- Optional: Garmin inReach
- Optional: Hiking Poles – 120CM
- Optional: Headlamp
- Optional: Garmin Fenix Watch
- Optional: GoPro, Joby Tripod, Selfie Stick, GoPro Max 2 , Drone, Insta360
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