Devil's Lake 
Distance: 14.0 miles (round trip)
Powderhorn Wilderness, Gunnison BLM and Gunnison National Forest, near Lake City in Southwest Colorado
Looking southwest towards the Uncompahgre Wilderness Area
Picturesque groves of mature aspen and beautiful views of the Lake Fork Valley and Uncompahgre Peak are a few of the visual delights on this scenic trail following the Devil's Creek drainage to Devil's Lake, lying beneath the western flanks of the Calf Creek Plateau.
See Trail Detail/Full Description
- Distance: 14.0 miles (round trip) to Devil's Lake
- Elevation: 8,480-ft. at Trailhead
12,000-ft. at Devil's Lake - Elevation Gain: 3,520-ft. to Devil's Lake
- Difficulty: strenuous
- More Hikes in:
Lake City / Southwest Colorado
Why Hike Devil's Lake
In the northern reaches of the San Juan Mountains lies the Powderhorn Wilderness, a rugged, glacier carved landscape encompassing large expanses of alpine tundra, spruce forests, and several alpine lakes at nearly 12,000-ft. The wilderness harbors two huge plateaus over 12,000-ft., the Cannibal Plateau and the Calf Creek Plateau, that make up the largest relatively flat expanse of alpine tundra in the lower 48 states. The plateaus were created by Tertiary volcanic deposits that are believed to be 5,000-ft. thick in some place.
This trail climbs the Devil’s Creek drainage to Devil’s Lake, which lies nestled in a tundra-clad saddle between the Cannibal and Calf Creek Plateaus. Beautiful views of the Lake Fork Valley and Uncompahgre Peak are visible from many points along the trail.
Elevation Profile
| Buy the BookThis opinionated guide includes all the hikes in the Ouray, Telluride, Silverton and Lake City sections of the website plus info on local services and nearby attractions. |
Trail Resources
Trail Detail/Full Description / Trail Photo Gallery / Trail Map
Basecamp(s) Information:
Lake City
Region Information:
Southwest Colorado
Other Hiking Regions in:
Colorado