Colorado Trail Segment 10

This route starts at Mount Massive Trailhead and ends at Timberline Lake Trailhead, covering about 12.7 miles one-way with roughly 2,512 vertical feet of gain and 2,538 vertical feet of loss. From the trailhead on Halfmoon Road, the Colorado Trail climbs gradually, passing good views of Mount Elbert, Colorado's highest peak. At around 3.2 miles, a junction on the right marks the Mount Massive Trail — a 7-mile round-trip side trip with more than 3,300 additional vertical feet to Mount Massive's summit. Continuing straight on the Colorado Trail, climb to top out on a ridge, then descend and climb again through mostly forested terrain, contouring around Bald Eagle Mountain, with occasional views including a look down to the town of Leadville. In its final miles the trail crosses Busk Creek and Glacier Creek, two notable mountain streams, before reaching Timberline Lake Trailhead at the west end of Turquoise Lake.