In the middle of July when a heat advisory flashes across a phone to warn of 100-plus-degree days approaching, a hike to a perpetual patch of snow sounds quite inviting.
That is the biggest benefit of the trail to St. Mary’s Glacier.
Located near Idaho Springs, this short 1.8-mile roundtrip hike (the short length is one of the other benefits) takes hikers to a subalpine lake and to elevations near tree line to escape the heat and play in snow.
Because of the accessibility of this trail into the high country without the day-long slog up steep mountains, it attracts a lot of users but bring your canine friend along and they will share in their joy of snow play.
The trailhead for St. Mary’s Glacier is located at an elevation of 10,300 feet 7 miles up Fall River Road off Exit 238 on U.S. Interstate 70. The trail starts on private property, so the beginning of the trail is only marked with a small sign on a telephone pole and begins up the rocky slope between two chain-link fences.
The trail does, however, continue into Arapaho National Forest and the James Peak Wilderness Area.
Rocks of all shapes and sizes cover most of the trail as it navigates through a thick pine forest.
Stay to the right side of the trail to avoid the largest of the boulders.
At 0.3 miles, stay to the left at the fork and in another 0.1 miles, follow the trail to the right side of the fork in the trail.
The trail reaches St. Mary’s Lake at 0.65 miles. This deep lake sits just below the glacier, which is classified as a semi-permanent snowfield because it lacks movement like a glacier, at the west end of the lake. Stop here along the shore of the lake to admire the vastness of this destination so close to an interstate highway. Tall mountains covered in verdant summer foliage beckon hikers to pause for a moment and admire the beauty of Colorado.
After the break, follow the path along the edge of the lake. It then moves between a thick patch of willows and dense forest. Watch for moose in this area as they can easily disappear into the tall willows.
In just another 0.3 miles, the trail reaches the snow field at the glacier, where people and dogs are sure to be enjoying the coolness of the perpetual snow any day of the week.
Return to the trailhead on the same route. The entire roundtrip hike can easily be completed in less than two hours but because of the elevation and the rocky conditions along the trail, it can still offer a challenging jaunt into the mountains.
During the summer, portions of the trail bloom with color, including bright yellow cinquefoil, alpine daisy and alpine buttercups as well as fireweed later in summer.
Because of the popularity of this trail, wildlife can be timid but birds, like yellow-rumped warblers and white-crowned sparrows, do flutter through the area, moose may feed on the willows and golden-mantled ground squirrels definitely try to convince hikers to share their lunch.
Although there is no fee to use the trail, there is a parking fee of $20 plus a $1 convenience fee that must be paid to park in one of the two lots on either side of the trailhead. There is a machine to charge a credit card via a cell phone.
Parking lots do fill quickly, even on midweek days, during the summer so plan to arrive early or late in the day. Tickets are distributed for illegally parked cars along the roadway.
This is a dog-friendly trail but dogs must be on leash.
Originally Published: July 11, 2024 at 7:26 a.m.
