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Enjoyable valley ramble alongside Gore Creek with bonus excursion to view the beautiful alpine Gore Lake.


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Map Key

11.9

Miles

19.1

KM

83%

Runnable

11,306' 3,446 m

High

8,759' 2,670 m

Low

2,593' 790 m

Up

2,594' 791 m

Down

8%

Avg Grade (5°)

32%

Max Grade (18°)

Dogs Leashed

Features Commonly Backpacked · Fall Colors · Lake · River/Creek · Views · Wildflowers · Wildlife

Overview

The Gore Creek Trail on its own is great, but why stop there when you can add in a visit to a hidden alpine lake? This combo route has something for everyone: mostly mellow grades that allow for easy conversation in addition to a few heart-pounding sections that provide a nice, challenging workout.

Description

The Gore Creek Trail climbs alongside Gore Creek for 4 miles through healthy, extremely pleasant forest. Patches of aspens turn brilliant yellow in the fall. There are some short steep sections along the way, but none of the hills are too long. The trail winds through open meadows and dense aspen groves that soon change to conifer stands as the elevation increases. There are several creek crossings, but for the most part it is easy to hop over them using big flat rocks or logs. At mile 4.2, the trail forks at a small backpacker campground. There is a gravesite for two people and a sign with their names.

To visit pristine Gore Lake, take the left fork and proceed steeply uphill, to the north. The trail pleasantly weaves through fir and aspen forests along streams. Views improve as you pass through large meadows ringed by impressive cliffs and rock formations. After half a mile, the trail levels out quite a bit, and can be hard to find at times when meadows become overgrown. Make a final turn to the left (west) up a last climb to the lake. If the snow is mostly gone, you can circumnavigate the lake for amazing views of the 10 Mile Range, the Sawatch Range, and of course the Gores all around you. Reverse course to return to the trailhead and enjoy a different perspective and views on the way out.

Shared By:

Megan W

Trail Ratings

  4.0 from 1 vote

#10

in Vail

#4767

Overall
  4.0 from 1 vote
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Recommended Route Rankings

#10

in Vail

#653

in Colorado

#4,767

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0 Since Sep 23, 2024
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Photos

Creek crossing after the lake turn off.
Aug 25, 2024 near Silvert…, CO
Fall colors along the Gore Creek Trail.
Sep 23, 2024 near Vail, CO
Junction to Gore Lake heads north here (about 4-4.25 miles in). Cross the creek here to continue on Gore Creek Trail. It's confusing, since there's also a trail that heads straight, but that's just to backpacking campsites and not the real trail.
Jul 20, 2020 near Silvert…, CO
View of Gore Range. Photo from Maria McEvoy with permission.
Aug 11, 2017 near Silvert…, CO
Pretty meadows in the fall.
Sep 23, 2024 near Silvert…, CO
Stop on the rocks and enjoy the view
Aug 17, 2018 near Silvert…, CO

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