Hike to Caribou Lake Colorado

Hike Caribou Lake and experience why Colorado is amazing. This gorgeous trail in Nederland, Colorado is a perfect one night backpacking trip or day hike. You get views at the top of a mountain pass, some wildflowers sightings if you’re lucky, and a campsite near a beautiful lake. The trail is an out-and-back, around 4.5 miles each way. With 2,600 feet of elevation gain, it’s not an easy 9 miles, but it’s very doable in 2 days as a backpacking trip or a long day hike.

This trail is not as busy as many others in the area, which is awesome. We passed maybe 20 people during our trip, and there was one other group camping at the lake. I’d imagine it gets busier in the middle of the summer, but it’s definitely a great option for some solitude.

This hike is so beautiful, it made it on my list of Best Backpacking Trips in Colorado.

Here’s a photo to convince you to hike Caribou Lake:

This was the gorgeous view from our campsite

Best Time to Hike Caribou Lake

This trail is best done in the summer, July through September. At other times, you may encounter snow on Arapaho Pass, and it might not be safe to hike. We hiked at the very end of June, and conditions were great. The snow had melted, and the temperature didn’t drop too much overnight – I’d guess it was 50 degrees. I use AllTrails and read reviews prior to a lot of my hikes. Check and see if someone has hiked it recently and left a review on trail conditions.

The Rockies can get afternoon storms, so it’s best to hike in the morning if possible. You reach a mountain pass around mid-way through the hike, so plan accordingly.

How to Get to the Trailhead

This trail starts from the Fourth of July Trailhead near Nederland, Colorado. There is a parking lot near the trailhead and some extra parking along the road. The last 5 miles of the drive are on a dirt road. If you have a Jeep or truck, drive it. If you have a regular car, you can probably still make it as long as it’s not too muddy and you drive slowly.

Drive Times:

From Downtown Denver: 1.5 hours

Boulder: 1 hour

Longmont: 1 hour and 20 mins

The Caribou Lake Trail Deets

I am directionally challenged, and this was a very easy trail to follow. If you go while it’s still snow-covered, that could be a different story, so make sure you’re prepared for that.

Start at the Arapaho Pass Trail, around 10,000 ft, and begin your ascent. Hike through forest until you reach a meadow – full of wildflowers if you’re there at the right time! Cross some creeks, and you’ll eventually reach a trail sign at 1.2 miles. Take the Arapaho Pass Trail to the right.

Continue climbing steadily and stay left on the Arapaho Pass Trail at the next sign. At 3.2 miles you will reach the top of Arapaho Pass. Enjoy the thin air and views at 11,906 feet 🙂 You can see Caribou Lake from here if it’s a clear day.

You’ll head RIGHT at the Pass to make it down to Caribou Lake. There are a bunch of switchbacks (not too difficult), and you’ll reach the lake around 4.2 miles.

This is an out and back hike, so you’ll just go back out the next day. The switchbacks are tiring at the start to get to the top of the Pass, but the rest of the hike is downhill after that.

It took us around 3 hours of moving time each day for this hike. We were hiking at a moderate pace. Adjust that based on your speed and how often you plan to take breaks.

Top of the Pass – this whole trail was beautiful

How to get a Backpacking Permit for Caribou Lake

Before you embark on this adventure, you’ll need to buy a backpacking permit. Permits are required in The Indian Peaks Wilderness from June 1st to September 15th. These are bought through recreation.gov.

If you’re planning this trip far ahead of time, you can make a reservation on February 1st. Some of these permits remain available after February 1st – click here. Backpacking permits are also released 3 days ahead of time – click here to check availability. **Try both of those links. The website doesn’t combine the leftover book ahead campsites with the 3 day prior campsites. You have to look separately.**

You’re looking at backpacking permits West of the Continental Divide, and then you look for Caribou Lake. The number of “groups” available shows up on a weekly calendar. Click on the number, and then click Book Now at the bottom. Edit your group members, select Entry and Exit Point – both will be Fourth of July, read the Need to Know info, and pay $11 for your permit. They recommend printing your permit, but I’d imagine showing a screenshot to a park ranger would also suffice.

We did see a park ranger while we were hiking, and she asked to see our permit.

Other awesome Colorado things to check out:

• The Best Easy Hike in Rocky Mountain National Park
• The Mohawk Lakes Trail (7 alpine lakes in 1 hike!)
• The Best Free Trails near Longmont, Colorado.

What to Pack to Backpack Caribou Lake

You’ll need all the usual backpacking items. I have a backpacking gear packing list that I use for all my trips. Some optional items that I would recommend for this particular hike: BUG SPRAY, a small citronella candle, and trekking poles. Bear canisters are not required, but if you have one, I’d recommend using it. No fires allowed, so plan to bring your camp stove.

Where to Camp

There are 12 regular campsites around Caribou Lake and 1 group site. Click here to access the map – I recommend taking a screenshot on your phone or printing it to bring with you. They’re pretty easy to find, but the map was a little helpful.

We stayed at spot #9 and had a good view of the lake. Spot #5 seemed less mosquito-y, but we didn’t spend enough time in it to say for sure. You can’t really go wrong; it’s a beautiful area.

Only camp in designated spots. They’re there for a reason.

Our little campsite

Leave No Trace/Campfires

Campfires are prohibited at all times in this area.

Always follow Leave No Trace principles. Pack your trash out, be considerate, etc.

If you need to poop while you’re there, make sure you know how to poop in the woods while backpacking.

Tips to Hike Caribou Lake

There is no cell service. Not even at the trailhead. If you have a radio or a way to communicate in case of emergency, bring it.

The mosquitoes were horrendous when we were there. If you’ve never experienced swarms of mosquitoes, literally hundreds in your eyesight at a time, you might have your chance at Caribou Lake. Maybe they’re not as bad in late summer? Maybe we were some of the first campers of the year and they were ravenous? I’m not sure, but definitely bring whatever you have to protect yourself from them. Bug spray, citronella candles, thicker pants, etc. You will have a much more enjoyable time if you pack these things.

It’s a beautiful camping area. If the weather is nice, bring some things to enjoy your time there. A hammock, deck of cards, etc.

If this is your first backpacking trip, check out my backpacking tips for beginners before you head out on the trail.

Where to Eat after the Hike

Eating after backpacking or hiking is one of the best parts, right?

There are some decent local restaurants in Nederland, so I recommend stopping before the drive home. We ate BBQ at Busey Brews, and it was delicious. Definitely get the brisket and mashed potatoes.

My friend vouched for Crosscut Pizzeria and Taphouse. She said the pizza is awesome, and there’s tons of outdoor seating.

There’s a very tiny area of restaurants, so just explore until you find one that sounds good. Doesn’t everything taste better after backpacking?

I hope you have a lovely time backpacking Caribou Lake. If you do this hike, please comment below and let me know!

Happy Hiking and Backpacking!

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