I’ve long since lost count of how many times my hiking plans have been thwarted by weather.
After bailing on this hike once due to a high probability of – strangely – early morning thunderstorms, my friend and I were able to reschedule for a couple weeks later and, this time around, the weather cooperated. Mostly. It was smoky down on the plains, but up in the mountains we managed to get above it. Our view back toward the plains was partially obscured, but visibility and air quality were decent in all other directions, and there was little-to-no risk of thunderstorms.
The hike to Niwot Ridge begins from the Niwot Picnic Area parking lot at Brainard Lake Recreation Area, and parking here requires a parking lot specific timed-entry permit. We weren’t initially able to obtain one, but thanks to a last-minute cancellation, I snagged one the night before our hike. Alternately, you could obtain a permit for either the Brainard Lake or Long Lake parking areas, but the hike would be a bit longer.
From the Niwot parking area, we crossed the road and started up the Niwot Cutoff Trail to the Jean Lunning Trail which encircles Long Lake. After a short distance on this trail, we then took a second left onto the Niwot Ridge Trail. This turnoff isn’t marked and, in fact, I initially thought it was social trail because the path is very narrow. As it turns out, it’s just not a popular hike.
So off we went down this narrow path, which eventually widened slightly as it began to zigzag uphill, gaining about 500 feet (150 m) over the next mile. From here, the grade moderated somewhat as we approached tree line and then popped out onto the wide open expanse of Niwot Ridge.
The ridge itself wasn’t what I expected, but that’s mostly on me; my friend has hiked this trail before, so I was just along for the ride and didn’t research it in advance. My expectation was that we’d be walking along a somewhat narrow ridge with views down either side. In reality, the ridge is broad and it wasn’t until we reached the end that we were able to see what lies below.
Niwot Ridge is also a research area, and not only did we see a lot of research equipment, but we actually encountered a couple teams of researchers. We didn’t stop to talk to them, but a quick google search reveals it to be associated with University of Colorado and focused on ecology and environmental sciences.
Anyway. The official maintained trail dead ends at a road (which is for research vehicles only); however, as long as you obey all the signs and don’t disturb the research, you’re allowed to continue hiking along the road and then beyond onto an unmaintained trail that leads to the end of Niwot Ridge. The trail wasn’t always easy to see, but if you stay close to the line of posts, you’ll get there.
At last, we reached the end of the hike, marked by a giant cairn. From here, we could see Lake Isabelle in the valley to our north and the Green Lakes in the valley to our south. The Green Lakes are part of the watershed for the town of Boulder and are closed to public use; be sure to obey the no trespassing signs on the ridge that mark the boundary of the watershed.
We spent a while on the ridge, eating a snack while enjoying the view of Lake Isabelle and Isabelle Glacier.
It was mid-July, and alpine wildflowers were blooming all around us as well.
After about half an hour on the summit, it was time to retrace our steps.
The smoke was gradually clearing and we had a better view back toward the plains now, too.
We were back to the car just over two hours after leaving the summit; it was all downhill, allowing us to keep up a good pace. My legs were tired after hiking 11 miles (17.7 km), but I didn’t mind too much. After spending a week in the hot sandy desert, it was so nice to be surrounded by wildflowers and fresh mountain air once more.
Also, in what was a first for me at Brainard Lake Rec Area, we saw no moose. Perhaps my uncanny moose magnetism has finally come to an end.
If that’s the case, you won’t hear any complaints from me.
Up next: a weekend in Palisade, Colorado
The Important Stuff:
- Getting there: this hike departs from the Niwot Cutoff Trailhead on Brainard Lake Road, just a few miles outside the tiny town of Ward off Highway 72.
- Fees and passes: there is a $14/day entrance fee to Brainard Lake Rec Area from June-mid Oct (this trail would likely be impassable outside that window anyway); America the Beautiful passes are accepted. You’ll also need a timed-entry parking permit for Niwot Picnic Area. Permits are released on a rolling basis at 8:00am MDT 15 days in advance.
- Hiking: roundtrip distance from the Niwot parking area is 11 miles (17.7 km) with 2385 feet (725 m) of elevation gain. Add about 0.7 miles (1.1 km) and 50 feet (15 m) roundtrip if you start from either the Long Lake or Brainard Lake parking areas.
- Where to stay: this is an easy day trip from the northern Front Range. For overnight stays, there is one campground at Brainard Lake Rec Area; reserve in advance, it fills up very quickly. Backpacking is not allowed in this area during the summer.
- Other: once you’re above tree line, the entire rest of this hike is completely exposed with no shelter from storms. This is a hike best done with an early start on a day with minimal storm chances. Also, to reiterate what I mentioned above: please don’t disturb the research equipment, and ensure your dog is leashed and not disturbing anything either.
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