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View Trail Map in AppThe North Cottonwood Creek Trailhead is accessed via Chaffee County Road 350 (Forest Road 350). The road is dirt and gravel, generally passable for standard passenger vehicles, though the final sections can be rough and high-clearance vehicles are recommended. The road is not plowed in winter, restricting vehicle access to the trailhead from late fall through late spring.
There are no parking or day-use fees. Because the route enters the Collegiate Peaks Wilderness within San Isabel National Forest, specific Wilderness regulations apply.
Path Type
There and Back
The Bear Lake and Horn Fork Basin trail begins at the North Cottonwood Creek Trailhead, west of Buena Vista, Colorado. Starting at an elevation of 9,866 feet, the route follows a well-maintained singletrack trail through a dense evergreen forest. At 1.5 miles, the trail passes the junction for Kroenke Lake; stay right to continue climbing into the Horn Fork Basin.
As the trail ascends, the trees begin to thin, offering views of Mount Yale to the southwest. Around 3 miles, the trail passes the junction for the standard Mount Columbia ascent route. The trail then leads into the open, willow-filled meadows of the upper basin, with Mount Harvard directly ahead and Mount Columbia to the east.
The route concludes at Bear Lake, a high-alpine lake nestled at 12,417 feet directly below Mount Harvard. This pristine basin serves as a scenic destination for day hikers and a base camp for those preparing to climb the neighboring 14,000-foot peaks.
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