Grouse Lake - 9.4 Miles Round-Trip

Grouse Lake (10,728') is located 4.7 miles from Grouse Creek Trailhead in the Holy Cross Wilderness. It lies in a wide, level basin ringed by thick timber and marshy willow below Grouse Mountain (12,726’). While the lake aesthetic is limited, the hike itself is compelling.

Trail Map | Photo Gallery

The Grouse Lake Trail closely follows Grouse Creek through grassy aspen groves into thick coniferous forests up to the lake. These aspen groves are especially attractive, and abundant flowers and berries highlight lower portions of the trail.

The kinetic creek offers many good places to camp, and wide oxbows on the lake’s outlet are ideal for fishing. The trail is moderate with the exception of two short steep sections and potentially voluminous creek crossings during the runoff:

The Grouse Lake Trail heads SW across open grassy slopes to the Grouse Lake – West Grouse Creek Trail split (.55 miles : 8,145’). The Grouse Lake Trail veers left; the West Grouse Creek Trail veers right with access to Waterdog Lake, Olsen Lake and the Turquois Lakes.

The Grouse Lake Trail rises through intervals of aspen and mixed pine to a vaguely marked obstruction at 1.0 mile (8,437’). This relatively new re-route forces you (right) across two braids of the creek to the west side of the valley. Note the trail is not immediately obvious until reaching the far side.

Once over, travel levels through idyllic aspen groves rife with wildflowers. The trail curls back to the creek, again crossing two successive braids back to the east side of the valley (1.5 and 1.55 miles : 8,745’). The second braid can be a little tricky.

The trail climbs steeply up the east side of the creek through uniformly tall and beetle-marred lodgepole. It gradually moderates through 1.9 miles (9,130’) to another creek crossing (right) at 2.4 miles (9,430’). The bridge is out, and the ford is difficult with swift water.

The trail climbs steeply up the west side of the creek, soon moderating for an extended period in a diverse forest broken by sunny glades and large, open slopes ideal for seeing wildlife.

It passes through a large meadow at 3.9 miles (10,240’), and re-enters thick timber with some potentially vague sections ahead. The trail shifts quickly, but in each case is intuitively followed beside the creek up to Grouse Lake (4.7 miles : 10,728’).

Grouse Mountain crowns the backdrop of this pleasant but subjectively unspectacular basin. Social trails continue around the lake’s west side with ample room for fishing and exploration.