Date: Wednesday, June 12, 2019
Miles: 8.8 miles
Elevation Gain: 1667 feet
Difficulty: Moderate
Time: 3 hr 30 min total
Type: Day hike from Denver (1hr 30min drive)
Trail Head:
https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/colorado/mill-creek-basin-trail-to-bierstadt-lake
Notes:
I took two weeks off for moving and a belated engagement celebration. Today I had the day off work and took the opportunity to get back into the swing of things with hiking! We are backpacking in Rocky Mountain twice in the next month, so I needed to make a visit to pick up my back country permit. I decided to add some mileage and check out a trail route I had not completed before— Hollowell Park Trail Head to Bierstadt and Cub Lakes.
I parked at Hollowell Park TH and took the Mill Creek Basin Trail to Bierstadt Lake, then descended to the Cub Lake Trail connector. I added on Cub Lake, then took the park and ride shuttle back to my car at Hollowell Park TH. There is a way to hike this as a connected loop, following the Maraine Park Trail back to Hollowell (12 miles RT).
The first half mile was flat through the meadow, completed exposed to sun. From there you gain elevation steadily along Mill Creek, through a pine forest (about 1200 feet). The trail was completed clear of snow and very quiet for a weekday in the summer. I reached Bierstadt Lake 3.1 miles in, pausing for some photos and then back down to the Cub Lake Trail connector. Check out the elevation profile below— you do climb another ~500 feet to overlook Cub Lake. This section of the trail was unimproved, with several sections obstructed by fallen trees and part of the trail eroded. I did not see anyone else on this section. Once you hit the Cub Lake Trail, you slowly descend to Cub Lake TH. Round trip almost nine miles!
Annie Hikes 500 Miles 