The Ice Lake Trail is a 3 or 4 mile climb from about 10,000 feet at the trail head to 12,257 feet at the turquoise blue Ice Lake in a spectacular high mountain basin. The trail head is at the South Mineral Campground, about 2 miles north of Silverton, Colorado on Highway 550, then 3.5 miles west.
The South Mineral Creek Campground area had many visitors in mid July. There are interpretive signs near the trailhead describing efforts to improve the trout habitat in the South Fork Mineral Creek. The creek supports Brook Trout, and Rainbow Trout are stocked by the Colorado Division of Wildlife.
The habitat improvement project involves placing large boulders and logs in the stream to create pools and protect the banks. The trailhead parking area was overflowing on the day I hiked. The first segment of trail starts with switchbacks through spruce, fir, and aspen forest with views of the high peaks surrounding the valley.
On the way to the trail head, there is a 4WD road that leads to Clear Lake, one of the several small high elevation lakes in the area. There is a connecting trail from the road over to the main Ice Lake Trail that crosses below one of the many cascades and waterfalls that are visible along the way.
This stream crossing seems to have the remains of an old slippery looking bridge across it. A short distance further along the main trail, there is a side loop leading to a mining ruins site. There is a jumbled pile of destroyed wooden structures and a large metal boiler to see.
The route emerges from the forest and crosses a wildflower rich meadow below steep cliffs. Although the trail is named for mountain lakes, the wildflowers may be the main attraction of the Ice Lakes Trail. False Hellebore was in bloom, something not often seen.
There were lush larkspurs, Cow Parsnips or Love Roots or maybe both, a few Blue Columbines, and Indian Paintbrush, and Bluebells. The display probably gets better into August. From this meadow the trail resumes climbing steeply in forest toward the Lower Ice Lake basin. Looking back to the east, the Clear Lake 4WD road is visible switchback climbing and appearing to be amazingly high.
The Lower Ice Lake basin is the only segment of trail that is relatively flat. At the entrance end of the basin there is a rock outcrop that provides good seating and viewing of the lower lake.
The remainder of the hike continues toward an oddly slanted waterfall with an eye catching peak called the Golden Horn looming above. The peaks to the south of Golden Horn are Fuller Peak and Vermillion Peak, and Pilot Knob is to the north.
The trail toward the waterfall passes through waist high wildflowers and there is a creek crossing that will probably get your feet a little wet. I saw marmot feeding on the lush vegetation near the creek, the only wildlife that I noticed. I might have heard some Pikas, but didn’t see them. This last climb continues as steeply as before but the views back across the basin are spectacular.
Ice Lake is startling due to the vivid blue color, not to mention the ring of mountains surrounding it. Backpackers or those with extra energy have several other lakes to visit. A short distance past Ice Lake is the smaller and higher Fuller Lake. The trail to Island Lake is visible in the area around Ice Lake.
On the return hike it got noticeably warmer below the lower basin and was 70 degrees at the trail head at 3:45 PM. This was a on a day when the afternoon temperature in Durango was about 90. I drank 3 liters of water on this hike. The Ice Lake Trail is one of the most spectacular mountain trails in a spectacular region.
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