New Trail Open at Summit Lake

The new improved version of the Chicago Lakes Overlook Trail is now open and being enjoyed by visitors to this popular spot on Mount Evans. The trail was completed in August 2010, just before the road was closed for the season last fall.

The trail improvement project, along with the new restrooms at Summit Lake Park, was funded by a State Trails Grant and Land & Water Conservation Funds, matched by Denver's share of Mt. Evans fees collected by the Forest Service at the fee station. Installation of new interpretive signs this summer will mark the completion of this project. Future improvements at Summit Lake Park will include revegetation of social trails and the old roadbed.

Innumerable rocks and full-sized boulders were moved, often by hand. This project in the high alpine required a delicate touch, provided by the hands-on expertise of Fort-Collins-based Wildlands Restoration Volunteers. Their dedicated and tough workers endured challenging weather conditions and high altitude to get the job done.

A key part of the project was preventing damage to adjacent areas, and relocating plants that were in the path of new trail. Salvage and revegetation, shown in photo below, were a major emphasis, with plants moved by hand from disturbed areas. Although recovery is slow in alpine tundra, we expect that the trail will soon blend in with the surrounding terrain.


All photos by Matt Brown, taken during construction last summer, July 20, 2010.