Driving Interstate 70 through Silverthorne in the fall, you’ll see lots of fall colors on the hillsides. This week, I found a new-to-me trail through some of those aspen groves right off the highway.
The Salt Lick Trailhead is just a little over one mile off of I-70. It leads to multiple trails, many with mining names, like Prospector, Placer, Crosscut and Sluice Box. Most of them weave through trees that turn in the fall.
For this hike, we started on Lower Salt Lick. It’s actually an old road, but the trees along the way are beautiful. And when the trees open up, you may catch a glimpse of the nearby mountain peaks.
Because there are so many crisscrossing trails in this area, I highly recommend downloading the free COTREX app. It’s an app created by multiple agencies in Colorado and it’ll give you a good map of the nearby trails.
The Lower Salt Lick Trail is about one mile long. When it turns into the Upper Salt Lick Trail, it becomes a single-wide trail through the trees. Come on a bright, sunny day, and the golden leaves will shimmer in the sun.
If you noticed the traffic noise from I-70 at the start of the hike, by now you likely won’t be hearing it anymore.
The Upper Salt Lick Trail is hikers and equestrians only – no cyclists. That’s because about 1.75 miles into your hike, you’ll come to a wilderness sign. This is the Eagle’s Nest Wilderness. No motorized vehicles are allowed in the wilderness, which means hikers are welcome, but cyclists are not.
At 2.7 miles, the Upper Salt Lick Trail ends at the Lily Pad Trail. It’s also a scenic hike during the fall with lots of colorful leaves.
The Lily Pad Trail has some ups and downs as you hike just under a half mile to a pond and the lake. You’ll see the pond first and there’s a sign saying no campfires within a quarter-mile of Lily Pad Lake. But this isn’t it. Follow the trail just a couple hundred more feet to get to Lily Pad Lake.
At the lake, there are lots of rocks and downed trees on the shoreline for sitting. I also recommend walking a few steps in each direction to find the best views. I liked the angle showing the fall colors reflecting in the water with Peak One in the distance.
When you’re done exploring, you can return the way you came. Or, if you prefer a one-way hike, park a second vehicle at the Meadow Creek Trailhead off I-70 at exit 203. Stay on the Lily Pad Tril to go back to Meadow Creek.
- Details: the hike to Lily Pad Lake on the Salt Lick Trails is about 6.4 miles with 1,150 feet of elevation gain.
- Directions: On I-70, take Exit 205/Silverthorne and turn right. Turn left at the first light/Wildernest Road. Go 0.3 miles and turn left on Ryan Gulch Road. Go 0.7 miles and turn left into the Salt Lick Trailhead.
If you have any questions or trail suggestions, please email me HikingDebbie@gmail.com and follow me on Facebook at Facebook.com/DenverHikingExaminer.