Trail Information
Trail Name: Eleven Mile Canyon Overlook Trail
Location: South of Lake George, Colorado
Date: May 14, 2020
Time at the Trail Head: 11:00 am
Trail Length: 0.8 miles
Elevation Gain: 383 feet
Elev. at Trail Head: 8,467 feet
# of Hikers Passed: 2
# of Mnt. Bikers Passed: 0
# of Horses Passed: 0
Mosquitoes: 0
Trail Research
I had decided to hike near Leadville, Colorado, but when I arrived at the trailhead, there was still a foot or two of snow there. I knew the interior part of the state is always colder but I thought the snow would be cleared at the 10,000 and 11,000 foot elevation. Well, I was wrong again, so I made a quick decision to head to another trail near Lake George, where I knew there was no snow.
I pulled up my AllTrails app and found the trail I was looking for and corrected my GPS and headed for warmer territories.
Drive to the Trail
The drive to the trail today was longer than normal as I started off towards Leadville and then headed for Lake George. Here are several photos along the drive.
These first 3 photos are of the drive around Turquiose Lake, in Leadville.
These next three photos are near Lake George, Colorado, as I was approaching Eleven Mile Canyon.
You can see that the drive by itself was worth the trip.
My Day on the Trail
The trailhead was pretty small and the campgrounds are closed, plus I did not check to see if any of the bathroom facilities were open.
This was a short trail but it was a fairly steep climb up to the peak of the trail.
Here is a look up towards the peak of the trail.
This next photo is looking back down the trail.
There are a lot of great rocks and boulders, and I did see some people exploring rocks before reaching the peak.
Here is a rock tunnel you have to climb through to get to the top of the trail.
Ranger was having a great time exploring, especially when I had to take a break to catch my breath.
Here’s Ranger looking ahead to make sure the trail is safe. I really like hiking with him because he is always alert to everything around us. It makes me feel more safe.
We finally started getting close to the top and the day was so perfect so it allowed me to get some great photos.
This is the Eleven Mile Canyon Overlook, looking west towards Eleven Mile Canyon Reservoir.
Next is a photo looking back to the east down the Eleven Mile Canyon and the South Platte River.
Here are several more photos at the overlook. I sure would love to have a ranch in the area out to the west by Eleven Mile Canyon Reservoir.
You can see the dam in the photo above.
I would allow some additional time to explore the rocks in the area as trails like this can be a lot of fun.
This last photo is looking back down to the trailhead.
Even though this was a short trail and was unexpected, as I wasn’t planning on hiking this trail; it was a beautiful trail and the drive to and from the trail was magnificent.
Trail Recommendations
This a short fun trail but I would recommend hiking the Eleven Mile State Park Loop before hiking this trail as that trail was a lot more fun, and beautiful, in my opinion.
Lessons Learned
I would always recommend having a great long sleeve shirt for the early morning drive and hike as it always seems to be cool here in the mornings. I especially enjoy the cool mornings but you need to make sure your ready for different temperatures during the day.
Check out this short video of the Eleven Mile Canyon Overlook Trail on YouTube.
I would love to know if you have had any experience on this trail or have other trails you love to hike. Leave a Comment Below or send me an Email.
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Eleven Mile Canyon Overlook Trail
Pros
- Easy Access
- Grand Views
- Incredible Drive
- Magnificent River Views
- Short Trail with Great Views
Cons
- Rocky Steep Trail
Wow this defiantly looks like a fun trail for sure. I have a friend that lIves out there and I’m always jealous because it looks like he’s having so much fun on these trails.
So if I am ever out there in Colorado I will be sure to check this trail out.
By the way what is your favorite food / snack you like to eat while hiking on these trails?
Hey Michael. I always take two Cliff bars when I go on a day hike. I personally like the crunchy peanut butter the best.
On overnight backpacking trips, I will take a few Cliff bars, trail mix, beef jerky and strawberry twizzlers. Those are just for snacking. I take freeze dried foods for my meals, as I am normally many miles away from my truck or base camp.
What do you like to take with you on the trail?
Rick
Hello, a big thanks to you for putting up this interesting and amazing article on hiking trails in Colorado. I actually stumbled upon your site which I must say it’s pretty interesting and great with so much quality and useful content.i enjoyed seeing your site, I’ll will definitely visit some time.
Best regards!!
I am glad you found the site. I am adding trails every week so stop back by when you’re planning on visiting Colorado and there will be more trails for you to look at.
Rick
I know that finding a good article does not come by so easily so i must commend your effort in creating such a beautiful website and writing an article to help others with useful information like this.Many people may not know the benefits of hiking so i’ll just state a few benefits. Hiking lower stress levels, improves mood, and enhanced mental well being, a reduced risk for heart disease, lower blood pressure, lower cholesterol levels, improved control over healthy weight, lower body fat, improved bone density, and improved osteoarthritis. I’ve always been a lover of hiking since I was a kid, and wow! these trails here are driving me crazy. You have a lot of nice combinations and trail choices here.
Hi Wilson. Thank you for listing all of these positive outcomes from getting outdoors and hiking. One thing I had noticed this year after a doctor’s checkup was that my bad cholesterol had gone down dramatically and I had not changed my eating habits. The one thing I did change was how much I was out hiking in the Rocky Mountains.
Thanks for listing all of these health benefits to hiking.
Rick