A hike with a lot of colorful aspens in Summit County is the Peaks Trail to Rainbow Lake. While you can start this hike in multiple places, I like the trailhead on Zach’s Way in Frisco.
The trailhead has a lot of parking and if you go north, the trail goes to Masontown and Peak One. If you go south, there are several destinations including Rainbow Lake and even Breckenridge.
The Peaks Trail starts as a dirt trail, then goes across a long boardwalk through wetlands. When it goes back to dirt, it can be rocky at times, but it’s mostly flat with just a little elevation gain.
The main trail winds through a forest of trees with occasional views of the nearby peaks. Because the trail is so close to town and so close to I-70, it can get busy with hikers, walkers and cyclists.
The hike to Rainbow Lake is about 0.8 miles one way with 210 feet of elevation gain. If you'd like to hike further, the free COTREX app has several other trails in the area.
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Directions: From I-70, use exit 201 to get to Main Street. Drive about 4.4 miles and turn south on 2nd Avenue. Drive 1.1 miles to South Cabin Green. Turn right into the trailhead.
If you have any questions, or hike suggestions, email me at HikingDebbie@gmail.com and find more great hikes by following me on Facebook at Facebook.com/DenverHikingExaminer.
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