Rogers Lake: Gold Digger Loop

Start at the north parking lot and head west across the road, through a gate following signs for the Gold Digger Trail. The trail rises through recently thinned stands of ponderosa pine, giving nice open forest views. The high point of the route is a knoll where you can take a short, rocky side trail to a viewpoint providing a panoramic view of both the lake and the San Francisco Peaks. From here, the trail undulates up and down across a rocky ridge for a few miles until finally descending back toward the lake. The loop is enjoyable in both a clockwise or counterclockwise direction.At the junction with Two-Spot Trail, you can go left to take a flat section of trail on an old railroad bed alongside the lake, or go right for a mellow section of trail through the forest. Both options are roughly the same length and lead you back to the parking area where you started. - Overview and description by Ryan Lima, Outdoor Project.