Diamond Lake Trail

Deep snow, traction and poles were a must, floatation would have been helpful once I got to the ridge. Had a great time and only saw some snowboarders and 2 other folks that had turned back. Getting to the lake was breaking trail, but it was worth it! I did not bring my dog, glad I didn’t. Took about 5 hours and was not easy. Usually takes half in summer.

Can someone explain to me why? I was there today in Eldora and about 3 miles I think from diamond lake trail head around 6:40am to a fork in the road and they had road closed fences up. There were like 5 cars parked on the side of the road. I drove a hour to get there.

Took advantage of a late season hike before Fourth of July road closes. Ample parking at the trailhead on a Saturday around 10am. Trail was in good condition and was walkable without spikes.

Snow is pretty light still, a few icy spots, absolutely gorgeous views! Road is still open and not too icy.

Hike this trail on 11/13/23. Beautiful trail, only saw two other people when I arrived to the lake. Lake is frozen and beautiful. Majority of trail is packed snow but there are about 4-5 spots that are a little sketchy in terms of ice. I brought cramp ons with me but I never used them. I hike frequently and am in decent shape and I'd consider this moderately difficult. Nothing technical at all, but about 12-1300 gain and 5.6 miles clocked. I (think) heard a moose at the lake but the area is known for them so beware. Was not very windy on the day I went, nor was it particularly cold - temp was in mid 40s but sun was amazing. Views of surrounding mountains was great. Final note: the drive to get up to 4th of july trailhead is well documented. Its not easy and takes a good 20-25 minutes of driving quite slowly. You'll pass the hessie trailhead as well. There was one place on the way down from the drive that is snow pack and ice and its a slight downhill grade. I went 2mph and I was very nervous in my 4wd SUV - I can definitely see someone hitting a tree even at a slow speed because it can be hard to stop. I came out unscathed but still, a little sketchy.

Beautiful trail, a lot of fun and a fair amount of up/down so you don’t notice the elevation gain much. 4th of July road is still open and mostly clear, a few snow packed spot but any car with AWD will do fine. I don’t know if a sedan would make it all the way. Spikes were not a necessity with good traction boots but it’s not a bad idea to bring them as there are some slick areas. Started late so we turned around before the lake but still enjoyed the views on the way up. Came across an unfriendly unleashed dog on the trail. Ran into her owners down the trail frantically looking for her because she had run off. Friendly reminder to keep your pets leashed if you aren’t 100% confident in their recall! Sincerely hoping they found her.

Did not see another person on the trail today and I did it in jeans and regular hiking boots. The snow never got above mid boot and was easy to walk through. The drive up was easy as well. Something like a Subaru outback can make it no problem. This was a fantastic day on a really great trail that offers wonderful views.

Snow or ice on about 75% of the trail, but well traveled so easy to know where to go. Beautiful hike!

The road to the trailhead is rough so I recommend a car with some clearance. The views are worth it!

Beautiful hike! I needed spikes bc my pup likes to go fast but you could make it without. Lake is gorgeous and there’s a breathtaking view along the way

Stunning hike. Lake is fully iced over at the end

Great trail!! Little windy so I passed on upper diamond. I brought spikes and gators and I was very comfortable with them!

Good trail with very few people this time of year. Micro spikes weren’t absolutely necessary but definitely a big help.

Trail was not well posted, we got lost many times as the trail disappears for long stretches. Bridges are not well maintained and it's almost mandatory to walk through freezing cold creeks or runoff spots

Absolutely beautiful trail! This was our first time hiking in Colorado and this was a great hike. Some parts have steep slopes to hike and it might be good to bring trekking poles due to ice on the trail on some parts.

Short but very sweet. Perfect for Fall hiking.

One of the best trails in the front range IMO. Great forest trail with waterfalls and great views at the lake. The road there is rough and slow going for a few miles so factor that in one the drive time.

Great late fall hike before the access road closes. Beautiful trail.

Hiked Tuesday 10/17/23. Road was crazy ROUGH after Eldora. Potholes and exposed rocks are currently 10x worse than summer 2022. No snow at trailhead, but trail is 90% snow covered just after split with Arapaho Pass trail. Micro spikes & poles were very helpful. Quiet, beautiful day with just six or so others on the trail and at the lake.

Hiked on Sunday 10/8 and the weather was cool but perfect. Minimal tree color. Saw moose! Actually got stuck on the trail with a group between moose. Arrived about 8am and was able to park at the trailhead - plenty of cars, but not so crowded and didn’t see many people for a while on the trail which was lovely. Has some great vista views from the trail, and the lake is of course stunning! Other reviews say you can hike all the way around the lake - I went counter-clockwise and could not find a trail to get all the way around. Might be easier to follow a trail going clockwise, but I’m not sure one exists. Other reviews don’t lie - Fourth of July road is very bumpy. Go slow. High clearance vehicle was amazing to have. I did see a sedan going up, but can’t say I’d have been comfortable doing that. Overall, highly recommend. Was challenging enough but not overly steep and, though I was out of breath quickly, this sea-level-dweller was able to complete it without significant struggle. Thoroughly enjoyed!

Bring microspikes or poles for icy and snowy conditions. Mixed between dry and wet/frozen in the beginning and after the junction to the lake the trail is mostly ice.

Pretty views and the lake is beautiful. Icy in the morning and spike’s came in handy. Things thawed out and got muddy and slushy in the afternoon.

Completely snow covered. Icy and muddy in places. Road in is terrible with large holes, ice, etc. SUV is needed. Beautiful wooded trail over several waterfalls.

Able to park at the trailhead at 0900hrs on a Saturday. The road coming in was not too bad, big holes here and there. Saw multiple small SUVs doing it with ease. The road up to Hessie was maintained and smooth, but it started to get bumpy once you veered off to 4th of July Road. To our surprise, the trail was completely covered in snow, 5-8 inches throughout. The snow really got thick about a mile from Dream Lake. On the way back, about 2 from the trailhead, snow was already melting and getting slippery. Saw maybe 15 people on the way to the lake. Right when we thought we were solo in the winter wonderland, a person would pop up. A few new groups on the way back who were just starting. There were plenty of views, even with 3/4 of the trail being in the woods. The elevation the last mile got pretty steep, but it was worth it at the top. AllTrails says 5.98, but Apple Watch says 6.20.

Great hike today! Some aspens are still at peak and views are gorgeous up at the lake! I had forgotten how long and bumpy 4th of July road is! Plenty of parking up by the trailhead all day on a Tuesday.

Great hike with amazing views. Started at 9am and finished at 2, spent about 45 minutes at the late. Gets chilly in the morning, was about 25° F when we started but warmed up to around 55°. Little rocky in some areas but overall very doable.

Super fun trail and the views are breathtaking. We spent two nights camping up there and had a blast exploring the landscape. Heads up, though, there are a TON of moose in mating season. We had a scary encounter with one so be on high alert. Apparently bear spray works on moose!

Trail was beautiful! We pulled up to the high school, it’s on the way. The staff advised us the parking was full but showed us where to queue up. The parking lot was packed for the Hessie trail but we were released about 15 minutes later to continue on 4th of July road. Totally doable in our Subaru Ascent. Very organized and the staff kept us informed. Not a ton of people on the trail. It is very narrow so not easy to step off if you have dogs and want to let others pass. If I didn’t have the dogs, I would have used poles. App said 5.3 miles. Don’t use the lifeline option. It scared my family when it said we should be done in 2 hours. It took us 4. We are slow. Beautiful hike. Not much mud. Plenty of spots to let the pups get a drink. Lake was so peaceful.

Great hike to bring friends from out of town. Not too rocky, fairly easy, a few waterfalls and a beautiful landscape at the end with a lake.