Afternoon rain and thunderstorms happen almost daily in the summer, so getting caught above treeline can be dangerous. Wheeler Lake, Colorado - Four Wheel Drive Adventure The photos below were taken by my friend Jeff, who drove his Jeep up the 4-wheel drive trail to Wheeler Lake in Park County. The trail offers a number of activity options and is best used from July until October. Wheeler Lake is a 6.9 mile moderately trafficked out and back trail located near Alma, Colorado that features beautiful wild flowers and is rated as difficult. Gore Range Trail to Wheeler Lakes - 5.9 Miles Round-Trip The Wheeler Lakes are located 2.9 miles north of Copper Mountain Ski Area in the Eagles Nest Wilderness. From Huntsville, take I-565 south to Decatur. The trailhead to Wheeler Lake is 50 miles east of Angles Camp along Highway 4. This hike offers spectacular panoramic views of Lake Alpine to the south and vistas of Underwood Valley and the Mokulemne River Canyon to the northwest. All that is visible of the old town above water is Magnolia Mill, which is the starting point for what we refer to as one of our favorite hikes of all time. Lake Guntersville, Wheeler Lake, Pickwick Lake, Weiss Lake, Lewis Smith Lake, Neely Henry Lake, Lay Lake, Lake Martin, Logan Martin The next section is open and exposed but the well-marked trail allows easy ascent to … The four trails are: 1. The only time I have seen Wheeler Lake was when I stood on the summit of If you do this hike in the summer (July or August) you’re rewarded with an abundance of wild flowers and Wheeler Lake is surrounded by lupine and corn lilies. Trail Map | Photo Gallery After another mile and a half of hiking you will reach Wheeler Lake. The trail continues north and follows the valley floor. In order to successfully navigate the rocks, you will need a serious off road vehicle, something that's lifted with large tires. Don't plan on driving up the road at all. It has gorgeous scenery from the start at Montgomery Reservoir and the Magnolia Mill to the valley on the way to Wheeler Lake itself. This "road" has been adopted by The South Park 4x4 Club. Colorado Springs thought the best use for the area would be a reservoir, so they built a dam to catch the snow melt. Of course, the fully-equipped kitchen is perfect for whipping up a meal or if you Check out this awesome trailhead map of the Wheeler Lake Trail, and zoom in, click hybrid, and follow up the trail, PRETTY COOL!! Lost Lake Trail (#91) 4. Wheeler Lake Trail sits nestled in a high alpine valley in Colorado’s Park County. The area has a ton of mines, so keep your eyes peeled, especially on North Star's ridge (the ridge line high up on your right). East Fork Trail (#56). Alabama Bass Trail Northern Division Brittain and Springer Take the Win on Wheeler Lake with 21.84 By Jason Duran Decatur, News Tournaments Wheeler Lake The Greater Morgan County Builders Association Tournament on Wheeler Lake June 6, 2020 Magnolia Mill is worth a visit just by itself. I can imagine that this crossing would be even more difficult the closer to peak melt your are. The Southside cabin area hosts a 2.5 looped multi-use trail for hikers and mountain bikers. Expect about 3 hours hiking time give or take. Even lifted, off-road jeeps will have difficulty with the obstacles on this road. The trail offers a number of activity options and is best used from March until November. Continuing to Wheeler Peak Don’t be fooled by the easy trek to Williams Lake. Decatur, AL, is on the shore of Wheeler Lake. Trail Information Prevails.. Start early. 101 near Wheeler Dam and the cabin area. That water is really cold though. Sugar Pine Railroad Grade (Strawberry Branch). This off-road trail offers breathtaking alpine scenery and challenging obstacles in Breckenridge, Colorado's back yard and is only 1.5 hours from Denver, Colorado. The trail goes along the OHV road, which is quite rocky and and rough. Wheeler Lake is a 6.8 mile out and back hike beginning at the parking area at Woodchuck Basin off Hwy 4 Ebbetts Pass, a mile and a half northeast of Alpine lake. It does offer many covered picnic shelters and individual picnic areas for a day of good food, relaxing, trail walking, and watching the boats on the water. 2020 KBF TRAIL – Lake Lanier » Realtree Fishing KBF TRAIL Series Southeast SuperTRAIL presented by Dee Zee at Wheeler Lake is sponsored by Feelfree Kayaks . This moderate level hike climbs just under 1000′ over the course of two miles to the crest of Reba Ridge and descends quickly down to Wheeler Lake. When we were there people were having sailing lessons and it was fun watching them tip over or run into each other. Sometimes you can cut off some mileage by driving up the OHV road, but this is definitely NOT recommended for this road. There are two primary ways to access the four established public trails that penetrate the Wheeler Peak Wilderness: NM 150 from the west, and NM 578 fom the north. It’s worth taking a little break here to enjoy the natural splendor as the views are magnificent. Keep your eye out for the "glass cabin" on the right and a private yurt on the left. Because this is a popular 4x4 OHV road, it can be busy with vehicles on weekends, especially Saturdays and holidays. Contact the Amador Ranger Station in Pioneer, CA for more information. The trail is rocky in places with some steep sections and you will likely encounter snow up on Reba Ridge, even in the summer months, since it is at an elevation of 8700′. This trail goes above treeline, so as with many Colorado hikes, it's important be back below treeline by early afternoon. We start the trail by parking in a small parking lot just south of Magnolia Mill. The trailhead is accessed from AL Hwy. because it's such a difficult off-road track. You can’t go wrong with either option, but if you’re up for it, bagging Wheeler Peak is definitely worth the extra effort. If your shoes aren't tall enough, be prepared to roll up your pants and cross barefoot. This trail is definitely not for beginners, as it is a steady incline most of the way. The lakes fill shallow depressions in a large meadow complex off the Gore Range Trail. Dogs are also able to use this trail but must be kept on leash. Wheeler Lake is at the end of the trail, and it is surrounded on three sides by mountains forming part of the Continental Divide. When you come to the fork in the road, go right. You could hypothetically hike to this lake as well, but we decided against it since some darker clouds were starting to move in. Horseshoe Lake Trail (continuation of #91), can be accessed from either the Lost Lake (#91) or East Fork Trails (#56) 2. Note that it would be quite difficult and probably include Class 2 or even Class 3 rock scrambles. While the building has fallen into a state of disrepair, the site is part of Colorado's colorful mining history. It's about 7.5 miles and 3700' vertical to the summit, so allow 4-5 hours to reach the top. You'll start off being surrounded by lots of trees, which will slowly become less and less dense as you make your way above treeline. The trailhead  is to the north of the parking area. The Alabama Bass Trail is 13 premier bass fishing lakes throughout Alabama. There are two other public trails within Wheeler Peak Wilderness: 1. Wheeler Peak itself is really pretty, including the official trail to its summit, but to include a traverse of Wheeler, Simpson Peak, Peak 12819 (aka Bighorn Peak or Fairchild Peak, both names seen elsewhere), Lake Fork Peak, and Kachina Peak, made the day much more interesting. The last 1/2 mile or so increases in incline and difficulty even more, so that last push up to the lake can be the most difficult part of the hike. The trail to Williams Lake parallels the Lake … We were able to use hiking poles to balance and walk across the higher rocks in the water, but without waterproof hiking boots, this wouldn't have been an option. Wheeler Lake Climb through a beautiful valley up to a lake with a waterfall. The main house hosts 2 bedrooms, living room, bathroom and deck. Any overnight camping near Wheeler Lake will require a permit as the lake resides in the Mokelumne Wilderness (no permit required for day trips). The Alabama Bass Trail is 13 premier bass fishing lakes throughout Alabama. CONTACTS — Report issues, questions, or early departures to: The smoke on this day was moderate after a number of fires started in the area, but we could still make out some of the key features to the north such as Round Top, Raymond Peak, e.g. ~7800') the trail takes you through a nice wooded section opening up to great views of the cliff face of the ridge above. This hike offers spectacular panoramic views of Lake Alpine to the south and vistas of Underwood Valley and the Mokulemne River Canyon to the northwest. In this area is Montgomery Reservoir, a dammed lake owned by the city of Colorado Springs. This is where the inclines and difficulty increases significantly, but that means you're on the last push before the lake. Wheeler Lakes is a 6.6 mile moderately trafficked out and back trail located near Frisco, Colorado that features a lake and is rated as moderate. Lake Eufaula Lake Guntersville Lake Jordan Lake Martin Lay Lake Lewis Smith Lake Logan Martin Lake Mobile-Tensaw River Delta Neely Henry Lake Pickwick Lake Weiss Lake Wheeler Lake Travel the Trail Itineraries Bass and Facts & Figures Name Wheeler Lake Waterbody ID (WBIC) 439800 Area 281 ACRES Maximum Depth 35 feet Mean The trail goes along the OHV road, which is quite rocky and and rough. Wearing waterproof boots can help you successfully cross the stream, as well as using hiking poles for balance. Then the trail begins to climb rapidly till you reach the top of the ridge. From here the trail is mostly downhill and steep and loose as you descend the ridge so be careful. The information provided by Funtreks is not intended to replace the information provided on any trail or road, such as travel direction, time-based restrictions, animal restrictions, mode of transportation restrictions, trail blocks, trail … To your right you'll see where the water starts to funnel out of the lake and down towards your stream crossing from earlier in the hike. Wheeler Lake Trail Follow the track log from Route 9 on County Road 4. Once you reach Alpine Lake drive another mile and a half and turn left into the dirt parking area. Lake Guntersville, Wheeler Lake, Pickwick Lake, Weiss Lake, Lewis Smith Lake, Neely Henry Lake, Lay Lake, Lake Martin, Logan Martin Dogs are also able to use this trail but must be kept on leash. We chose to hike on a Wednesday, the same week school was back in session, so we had the entire trail to ourselves. The hike to Wheeler Peak requires much more stamina and is rocky near the top. Pack a lunch and eat at the lake. This trail network consists of approximately 2.5 miles of trails. Under the water, there is the remnants of the town of Montgomery, a former gold mining town that was abandoned in the late 1800's and flooded soon after. Along the old trail we were treated to great views of Wheeler Peak, just above the open Cliff Meadow that was one of the more difficult spots to find the continuation of the trail. This is where a waterfall coming out of the lake crosses the trail and you will need to be prepared to cross. Looking at the lake, to the left there will be a waterfall and, depending on the season, tons of wildflowers. As you begin your hike heading north from the parking area, the trail meanders through wooded forest for the first mile and then opens up to offer amazing views of the rocky crags of Reba Ridge. The trail in the post above is for Wheeler Lake, which is just outside of Alma. Wheeler Lake is a 6.8 mile out and back hike beginning at the parking area at Woodchuck Basin off Hwy 4 Ebbetts Pass, a mile and a half northeast of Alpine lake. When the trail flattens out again, you know you're really close to the lake; just go another 50 yards or so and you'll see it. Wheeler Peak Trail (#90) 2. Straight across, there's another, smaller waterfall that comes from another alpine lake a couple hundred feet above. A stream flows next to the mill and cascades down the valley in a series of stair stepping waterfalls before flowing into the reservoir. Sawmill Park Trail (#55), can be ac… Wheeler lake isn’t necessarily good for swimming as it’s somewhat marshy, it’s more about the scenery. In the summer of 2019, we lived in a valley right near the pass and continental divide. From Athens, take I-65 south or Highway 72 west to Joe Wheeler State Park. After parking, hike up to the mill and from under the mill's archway you will see a sign pointing north for Wheeler. The Wheeler Trail(Road) The Wheeler Trail, which is really a 4x4 road, begins at the Magnolia mine and ends over 3 miles later at Wheeler Lake. (If you go left at the fork, this will take you the long way around to Wheeler Lake and you will summit three 13ers - see this AllTrails listing if you are interested in this longer hike). We spent a decent a mount of time at this beautiful alpine lake before heading back down the same way we came. The Bull-of-the-Woods trail to Wheeler Peak, the highest point in NM at 13,161', is a beautiful hike first through aspen and pine forest and later through high alpine meadows with panoramic views. After parking, hike up to the mill and from under the mill's archway you will see a sign pointing north for Wheeler. Starting at the Woodchuck Basin dirt parking area off Hwy 4, (elev. Lake Wheeler is just your typical recreational lake. Williams Lake Trail (#62) 3. Wear waterproof shoes (or be okay with crossing barefoot). There will be points where you will ask yourself, "A truck can really drive up this road??" Please note that this trail should not be confused with Wheeler Lakes (notice the plurality), which is a hike just outside of Silverthorne. Best Time to Hike: end of July and August (this varies depending on previous years' snow accumulation), Features: wildflowers, 1 stream crossing, 2 waterfalls, 1 alpine lake. The trail starts out as a gravel road and turns into a very challenging 4WD trail. Be prepared for the possibility of taking your shoes off and rolling up your pants so you can cross barefoot in the ice-cold water. The Gore Range Trail to the Wheeler Lakes is a wonderful hike and sees lesser traffic than many hikes just off of I-70. The hike to Wheeler Lake is best done in the summer months, June through October. The lake is the focal point of this hike, so take your time while you're there and soak in your surroundings while enjoying your lunch and a rest break. 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