Alice's Wonderland

Are you one of the millions of travelers who have zoomed past the Alice exit on Interstate 70 west of Denver?  Have you ever pulled off the highway and ventured up Fall River Road to see what lurks up-valley?  If you follow the right paths, you will discover that many small, fantastic lakes live in the heights of this basin.  The sub-alpine tarns in this fun little pocket of Colorado delight paddleboarders, hikers and off-roaders  alike, but all have some form of effort tax.  

A gem in the wonderland

Idyllic St. Mary's Lake is not vehicle-accessible, but can be reached by a moderately steep 0.5 mile hike up the popular St. Mary's Glacier Trail.  Chinns Lake and Loch Lomond are accessed by jeep roads further down in the valley.  Each of these have their own unique wonderland features.  Both Chinns and Lomond have multiple neighbors of similar character that can be accessed by foot or 4WD vehicle.  The routes to all of these lakes generally aren't open and snow-free until mid-July.  They make a great retreat in the late summertime when temperatures on the flatlands below push triple digits.  

Vicinity Map

    Location Info: [key]

    

    (St. Marys / Chinns / Lomond)

    

    Scenery: 5 / 5 / 4 
    Shoreline Interest: 3 / 2 / 3
    Use: Moderate /  / Low-mod / Low-mod
    Fee: $5 parking / None / None
    Access: 0.6 mi. hike / 4WD / 4WD
    Full elev = 10750 / 11050 / 11200
    Weather

St. Mary's Lake
The best-known destination in the Fall River/Alice area is St. Mary's Glacier. While it's actually a perrenial snowfield--which is stationary--and not a gradually creeping glacier, the landmark gets a shout-out from highway signage on I-70. Just beneath the toe of the glacier snowfield is an idyllic lake that is surrounded by a cliffy hillside, a bristlecone pine forest, a rocky knob, and a saddle peering into the neighboring valley. 

St. Mary's Lake

There is no vehicle access to St. Mary's Lake.  A 0.5 mile, moderately steep hike up a rocky, decommissioned road is necessary to reach the lake.  Also, a $5 cash fee is required to park at the trailhead.  The hike is long enough and rough enough that it's probably easier to pump up an inflatable paddleboard at the lake than try to carry a rigid or pre-inflated board up the trail.  

St. Mary's Lake; glacier beyond

Bristlecone pines

After carrying an inflatable paddleboard to St. Mary's Lake, the logistics of exploring further can be complicated.  But if members your party are interested in venturing about, there are plenty of options.  An ascent of the snowfield--which becomes a narrow finger through a tight gully by late July--is always novel and fun.  The snowfield tops out on a vast, unexpected flat that extends more than a mile westward before ramping up to the summit of James Peak.  A short scramble to the summit of Fox Mountain--the rocky point northeast of the lake--is another scenic diversion.  

Calm between rainstorms

Chinns Lake looking east

Chinns Lake

The signature feature of Chinns Lake is the half-inundated miners cabin that sits tranquilly in the water.  While the cabin is the most obvious subject of Chinns Lake photos, the spruce forest that rings the lake and the steep mountainsides that guard the basin are also excellent attributes.  

The jeep road that climbs to Chinns Lake is accessed from Rainbow Road, 6.6 miles north of Interstate 70 on Fall River Road.  The turn-off is at the second set of switchbacks on the left side of the road.  After 2.5 miles on Rainbow Road, a jeep road forks left to Chinns Lake, which is 1 steep mile further west.  

Chinns Lake and its famed cabin

Chinns has been popular with jeepers for many years, but only a small fraction of its visitors actually paddle on the water.  However, it is gradually becoming more discovered as paddleboarding gains popularity (this blog post isn't helping).  When the water surface of Chinns feels crowded (which it never does), smaller Sherwin Lake is only 0.1 mile west with more space and a little change of scenery.  Another option, Fall River Reservoir, can be reached by staying right at the 4WD road fork to Chinns and driving another mile up the valley.  Fall River requires a hike of several hundred feet to reach the water because the road is gated below the dam.  These roads don't generally melt out until July or later.  

Loch Lomond

Presumably named after the much larger lake in Scotland, Loch Lomond is another special place in the valley that can be reached with a high-clearance vehicle.  Unlike Chinns, Lomond is above the local treeline and feels more alpine.  The prominent feature of Lomond is the cascade that tumbles directly into the lake on its far side.  The falls are become noisier and more impressive the closer one gets.  The best way to experience them is by paddling right up to the point where they plunge through the lake's surface and churn through the water underfoot.  

Loch Lomond

The easiest route to Loch Lomond is via Alice Road, which is 8.2 miles north of Interstate 70 on Fall River Road.  Go left on Alice Road, and after 0.9 miles, go right on the poorly marked, rougher Steuart Road (FS 701) into the forest.  Forest Service Road 701 continues another 2.3 miles to Loch Lomond with occasional sections that might not be passable for 2WD vehicles.  The road is seasonally closed until July 15.

Waterfall up close

Shoreside bristlecone pine relic

A casual look at the map shows that multiple bonus lakes (Reynolds, Stewart, Ohman & Caroline) are clustered in the basin above Loch Lomond.  All of these require faint-trail or bushwhack to get to, but reward with even more alpine seclusion.  

Sun sets earlier at Loch Lomond

Weather, season and safety considerations

All of the alpine and subalpine lakes in this area are fed by snowmelt and are quite cold.  The paddleboarding season is confined to a handful of good-weather days between mid-July and early September.  Since these remote lakes don't have water level reports, sentinel-hub playground is a good way to preview current conditions.  Winds are stronger are more frequent here than at lower elevations, but fortunately the lakes are small enough to temper rough waters. Even so, the cold water temperatures make PFD use prudent.  

Beautiful day at 11,000 feet

Loch Lomond looking east

The jeep roads in this area can be a bad place for a breakdown, so check your equipment before heading up and be prepared for surprises.  With appropriate planning, preparation, and weather, this magical area can be an amazing world apart from the hottest summer days in Denver.  Explore responsibly, play safe and wear a PFD!