Hike, Snowshoe, Horseback Ride or Mountain Bike a Popular Wildlife Trail

Nederland, Colorado

Save

View all 3 photos

All 3 photos

Save Review Directions Add Photo

Details

Distance

1 miles

Elevation Gain

500 ft

Route Type

Loop

Description

Added by Alaina Donovan

For a short, peaceful, forest hike with views of a beautiful reflective lake and a high chance of wildlife sightings, Mud Lake Trail is the place you're looking for.

Mud Lake Open Space displays the beauty of the Rockies; boasting a high-altitude reflective pool, gorgeous forest floor and home for various critters.

The close proximity of fresh water and forests make the property especially ideal for moose. This open space is around 8,250 feet of elevation and supports the life of various animals; bobcat, chickaree, coyote, elk, least chipmunk, little brown bat, long-tailed weasel, montane vole, moose, mountain lion, northern pocket gopher, snowshoe hare, and fish.

There are several short trails throughout this 231-acre open space and wildlife sightings are very common. Boulder County prioritizes land management and the conservation of wildlife.

Directions : 2 miles north of Nederland, CO on County Road 126. Just off of the popular Peak to Peak Highway (mainland’s highest paved road! ) Very accessible, short 5-minute drive from Nederland.

Download the Outbound mobile app

Find adventures and camping on the go, share photos, use GPX tracks, and download maps for offline use.

Get the app

Features

Cycling

Chillin

Fishing

Photography

Mountain Biking

Running

Skiing

Yoga

Snowshoeing

Backpacking

Hiking

Bathrooms

Dog Friendly

Easy Parking

Family Friendly

Food Nearby

Forest

Groups

Lake

Picnic Area

Romantic

Scenic

Wildflowers

Wildlife

Swimming Hole

Hike, Snowshoe, Horseback Ride or Mountain Bike a Popular Wildlife Trail Reviews

Have you done this adventure? Be the first to leave a review!

Leave No Trace

Always practice Leave No Trace ethics on your adventures and follow local regulations. Please explore responsibly!

Nearby

Snowshoe or Cross-Country Ski at Caribou Ranch

The Caribou Ranch Open Space is about two miles north of the town of Nederland. From Nederland, at the town’s roundabout, head west on CO 72 for about two miles. Turn left onto CO 126 at the sign for Caribou Ranch Open Space. Follow the dirt road for about .8 miles until you see the large parking lot.The trail starts at the parking lot for Caribou Ranch Open Space. Start out on the DeLonde trai...

Drive the Peak to Peak Highway

The Peak to Peak Highway is a 55-mile stretch of road that winds its way from Nederland to Estes Park (or Estes Park to Nederland). This road connects to many points of exploration, Indian Peaks Wilderness Area and Rocky Mountain National Park to name a couple, but the drive itself is an adventure on its own. During the fall, the road is engulfed in yellow and orange thanks to the changing leav...

Hike to the Lost Lakes via the Hessie Trail

Accessed by Hessie Trailhead, Lost Lake is a relatively moderate 4 mile round-trip hike with about 1,000 feet of elevation. The core of the hike is uphill and on a gravel path, 2/3rds of the hike runs parallel to a rushing waterfall. After parking your car, head towards the Hessie Trailhead. You'll choose the small path on your right which leads you through a small forest to an open clearing ...

King Lake via Hessie Trailhead

The normal route from the east side is via the Hessie trailhead outside Nederland Colorado. From the west it is most often accessed via the short trail from Rollins pass, which is open in the summer. As noted above, it is also a lake and area ripe for creating your own adventure. The description will be based on the normal route but feel free to use your imagination and combine off-trail advent...

Snowshoe to Jasper Lake

Starting at 9100 feet, the Hessie trailhead is easily accessible by both 2 and 4 wheel drive cars (depending on how far you want to travel down the road). The trail is fairly easy and often packed down snow up to the cut off point to the Devil's Thumb Bypass, which allows a bypass of Lost Lake and a slightly shorter trip. Once the bypass becomes Devil's Thumb Trail again, you are heading up tow...

Snowshoe Lost Lake

Driving through the towns of Nederlands and Eldora alone is a beautiful experience. Once you come up to Hessie Trailhead, you'll already be in a daze because you'll be staring at Eldora Mountain and will see some ski runs in the distance.Getting to the trailhead early is best. Parking starts along the street next to the trailhead and fills up fast. Once you find a spot, grab your snowshoes and ...