Easy hikes and walks in Lake County

This trail is adjacent to the Mineral Belt Trail. This gentle route meanders through the forest with minimal elevation changes. You can opt for a brief loop or utilize it as a gateway to access other trails.

An excellent hiking path characterized by its winding pattern through a picturesque corridor lined with Lodgepole pines. It's also ideal for cross-country skiing. It's important to exercise caution as it's a shared path with mountain bikers. The optimal way to navigate this trail is by following a clockwise direction.

This trail is adjacent to the Mineral Belt Trail. This gentle route meanders through the forest with minimal elevation changes. You can opt for a brief loop or utilize it as a gateway to access other trails.

The woods at Colorado Mountain College has a lot to offer. The campus woods has a disc golf course, soccer field, singletrack trails, and double track trails, all of which are free to use by the public. The Timberline Trail System is the name of the trails maintained in the campus woods as well as some off-campus trails (most of the trail maintenance here and in the rest of Leadville is done by the local non-profit Cloud City Wheelers). There is signage posted at most trail junctions for the singletrack network, and a lot of these trails are even groomed for skiing, snowshoeing, and fat biking in the winter.

At 12,297 feet, Ball Mountain is an unassuming peak in the foothills of the Mosquito Range. The roads leading up to the peak are mostly runnable (they are utilitzed for many trail races in the area). The peak, itself, is a rocky, dusty summit, and most 4wd cars can get within a mile of the summit (some OHVs can even drive to the top). There is a small summit registry tucked under a pile of rocks; you might have to do some searching since the top of the mountain is a wide, flat, rocky meadow.

Windsor Lake is a really popular hiking destination just outside of Leadville, Colorado, but it can work well as a shorter run, too (or an addition to a longer run). After a short, steep climb, you are rewarded with access to two alpine lakes (one small pool and one larger) situated right at treeline (a little over 11,600 feet). While fairly short, the trail to the lake is not the easiest and feels longer than the distance implies.

Hayden Meadows is a heavily used Forest Service area. There are restrooms next to the parking lot and signage posted at the trailhead. The area is known for its trout fishing in the Arkansas headwaters. There is also a small reservoir right next to the parking area. This is an especially great trail in the winter and spring months. While the rest of the high valley is covered in snow, Hayden Meadows often sees dry stints. The trail on the east side of the river is quieter and includes more singletrack. The side of the meadows next to the highway is a bit louder and less scenic, but it is really flat and can be good for faster running.

Not far off the Colorado Trail is a small alpine lake (it appears more like a pond) covered in lily pads and algae. The pond is in a small opening but is surrounded by a pine forest. The lake is pretty popular, but the trail venturing past the lake sees far fewer visitors.