This hike was on the top of my list for years in Silverton, Colorado. Years. There is a short window to when you can hopefully get the perfect weather for the best hiking conditions to Ice Lake or Island Lake. Our first time we tried to hike to Ice Lake was at the end of May. Naive kids from southern California thought that the snow should be gone by then! We hiked in snow almost the entire time and finally stopped when we couldn’t see if we were walking on the lake or not. I vowed to make it back some day and it took us 8 years to get back to southern Colorado.

Silverton, Colorado and the area surrounding it is one of the most beautiful areas of Colorado. Some of the best hiking in the state is located just a short distance from downtown Silverton, and there is a ton of free camping. Check out where we camped the night before the hike below!

Hike the Island Lake and Ice Lake Loop in Colorado

This hike is hard. For the average hiker it is strenuous. The trailhead starts at 9,500′ in elevation and most people do not come here and acclimate to that altitude beforehand. We spent a couple nights at the exact same boondocking spot we stayed at 8 years ago. One of the best we have ever found. We also made a point to be at an average of 6,500′ the past couple months. It helped. A lot. If you don’t have the luxury of doing that, make sure to bring extra water, snacks and take your time.

Most people we met on the trail were not doing the loop. I HIGHLY suggest doing the loop. If you are able to make it all the way to first lake, take the time to make it to the second lake. You will not regret it and it doesn’t add that much to your hike.

Miles: 7.76
Elevation Gain: 2,800′
Trailhead Elevation: 9,500′
Parking Lot at Trailhead: Ice Lake Trailhead. There is a decent size parking lot for about 50 cars. It does fill up since you have day hikers and overnight backpackers parking here. There is also a campground right across the road.
Coordinates: 37.806275, -107.773403
Difficulty: Hard
Dogs: Dogs are welcome on a leash. We came across the best dog owners on this trail. More than any other trail we have ever been on! It was amazing!
Time: 4 hours
Water Safety: There are multiple places to filter water along the way. So either make sure to carry enough or have a filtration system.
Camping: Scroll to the end to see the most amazing boondocking spot we found in Silverton.

Trailhead for Ice Lake and Island Lake Loop

Just outside downtown Silverton is Forest Road 585. At the very end of this road is the trailhead for the Ice Lake and Island Lake Loop Hike. The views at the parking lot were stunning!

Your hike starts at the end of the parking lot. Make sure to sign the registration form, check you have everything and then head on your way!

This hike is a continuous climb with very little reprieve. The switchbacks are many and do not help alleviate the thigh burning climb you are on. They in themselves are steep. What you do get within the first mile and the last mile is a hike along a beautiful waterfall, even with the scars from a wildfire from years past.

The Island Lake and Ice Lake Loop hike is actually a lollipop loop. We would highly suggest taking the trail counter clockwise, which means you head to Island Lake first. There isn’t a sign but an obvious Y.

A few more reasons on why it is better to take the trail counter clockwise: 1) There are no water crossings, so you will not get your feet wet at the beginning of the hike. There are two places going to Ice Lake first that have water crossings where there are no other options other than getting wet. 2) The climb is actually easier. It is just as long but not as rocky. It is still steep, but again it isn’t rocky. 3) The ease of getting from Island Lake to Ice Lake is a lot easier as it is downhill.

During one of the many rests that you may need, we needed them, make sure to turn around and take in the view while you are resting. The elevation will have your muscles acting a bit strange. They will be tight, tired and not moving like you are used to. You may need time to let your heart rate come down or for your lungs to catch up. For me this time, it was my heart rate. Itkept getting high and so we would stop and let it come down. There is always something if you are not used to the elevation.

There is one more Y. If you head left, you head to the lake, if you head right you head on a very steep up. That steep uphill gives you the best view of Island Lake and is part of the Hardrock 100!

At four miles you reach Island Lake and it almost makes you jump for joy. There are a lot of memes out there celebrating seeing your car at the end of the hike, but we were doing it when we saw the highlight of the hike!

We saw a family of marmots that were so cute and not happy about all the people showing up, but they did not give up their rock.

When you are ready you will head to the left and after a stream crossing and short climb you will see Island Lake from a different light and it almost looks like an entirely different lake. The backdrop is just as jaw dropping, but the bright colors is what will grab your attention.

The short hike from Island Lake to Ice Lake has a slight up hill and then is downhill. In there though, you have a section that is rock scree and at an angle. Make sure to take it slow, especially if you have dogs. In less than a mile though you will see Ice Lake.

Then once you hit the bottom of the downhill you will want to head right towards Ice Lake. I am so happy that we got back here to see Ice Lake. It really is one of the best in Colorado.

The lake on any day is beautiful but on a sunny day, it is inspiring! We chatted with a lot of people at Ice Lake and encouraged them to head to Island Lake. Again, mostly for the easier downhill and so they wouldn’t get their feet wet again.

We headed down the rocky trail. Even though it was rocky we were still on cloud 9 with the views of the valley and being out and about together on an amazing trail. We saw the longest waterfall we have seen cascading down the mountain side. It just made for a great day.

Boondocking in Silverton, Colorado

The road leading to the trailhead is full of amazing free camping for RVs of all sizes, tent and car camping. There is a pay to stay campground at the trailhead, South Mineral Campground, if you feel more comfortable doing that and making sure you have a place to park and comfort when you return. We decided to see if the spot we stayed at 8 years ago was available. It was, we were so ecstatic! You might even get lucky and see moose in the area. We saw a mom and baby the last time we were here and this time we only saw the prints along the road.

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