Name: Inlet Trail
Rating: 4.0

“An up-and-down trail from Osprey Point around the southern shore of Gross Reservoir.”

— Zander Göpfert

Features Lake · River/Creek

Boating is restricted from around Labor Day to Memorial Day. As per the sign at the trailhead, no body contact with the water is allowed. The trail is open year-round, with exceptions for trail work and/or at the discretion of Denver Water.

Runner Notes

Though steep and loose in spots, the trail is obvious enough to get some good strides in.

Description

This trail starts near the boat-launch area at Osprey Point, ducking left (south) into the trees. Here, and throughout the trail, look for the blue trail posts with "Inlet Trail" and a white outline of a jay on them.

The first section climbs somewhat steeply along a few loose switchbacks. From the top, you'll continue around the first little inlet where you might spot some anglers. Continue west across a small creek crossing that may be trickier in wetter months or spring runoff as the trail climbs again to the next plateau.

As the trailhead notes, this is mountain lion habitat, so bring a buddy, two-legged or four, or make some noise if you're running solo.

After one last dip, you'll tackle the third and last climb up and over the final peninsula to drop steeply toward the southwest inlet. There are some switchbacks along the descent that have been rerouted to prevent erosion and logs are usually placed clearly enough to show the way.

The trail finally drops down and emerges at the beach area by the inlet that has a trash can. This is a popular spot for anglers so don't expect to be alone, though the area does feel more remote than most around Gross as it requires a little effort to get to.

The east side of this trail and most of the Reservoir are on Denver Water property, while the west side of this trail is on USFS property. There will be a sign that shows the boundary.