Rainbow Lake via Pine Creek Trail

Lace-up those hiking shoes and charge up your camera before heading out on the Rainbow Lake via Pine Creek Trail. This charming adventure will guide eager explorers through pine woodlands, expansive meadows, past granite outcroppings, and gurgling streams before culminating at the lake. This long, but scenic hike is well worth the effort required to climb up to the shimmering lake. If you are traveling in the late fall or winter, consider microspikes and trekking poles to help navigate the vertiginous terrain. Note: the trail runs through private property, so a 1$USD fee is required at the trailhead or 2$ if you are bringing along a four-legged friend.

Departing from the trailhead off County Road 388, the Rainbow Lake via Pine Creek Trail follows the Pine Creek Trail southwest along the gurgling waters. Enjoy the towering pine trees and notice sights of the looming peaks through the tree break. Follow the trail through the forested gulch and you will eventually meet an intersection. Veer left here and you will be diverted onto the Colorado Trail Segment 12. Now trekking south, you will need to navigate several switchbacks up to the lake.

From the shoreline of Rainbow Lake, you will be granted a gorgeous view of the shimmering waters encircled by verdant vegetation and bounded by the impressive peaks of the Sawatch Mountain Range. Revel in the scenery and, when you are ready, retrace your footing along the path back to the trailhead.