Salmon Willow Trail
Encyclopedia
Salmon Willow Trail is in the southern Gore Range
, part of the Rocky Mountains
in the US state of Colorado
. It is located in the Eagles Nest Wilderness
, Summit County
. Salmon Willow Trail is north of Interstate 70
, west of Highway 9, in Silverthorne
. It connects the Gore Range Trail with Salmon Lake and the Willow Lakes that lie against Willow Peak and feed North Willow Creek.
The Salmon Willow trailhead is located in Willowbrook subdivision of Silverthorne. Approximately an hour up from the trailhead, the Salmon Willow Trail meets the Gore Range Trail
at the base of Red Peak. The Gore Range trail
proceeds north, meeting a junction with the Salmon Willow Trail. The Salmon Willow Trail ascends moderately, rising west into the valley between Red Peak and Willow Peak. Bearing to the right at the next junction, a trail
leads to Salmon Lake
, named for the pink boulders that surround this alpine lake. Proceeding straight to the ragged amphitheater formed by the mountains, a series of ponds lie ahead, feeding North Willow Creek. The Willow Lakes are two miles from the intersection with the Gore Range Trail
. In summer, the broad valley is covered with the blossoms of high alpine
and tundra
wildflowers. Greatest Hikes in Central Colorado: Summit and Eagle Counties, a hiking guide by Kim Fenske, provides a description of Salmon Willow Trail.
Gore Range
The Gore Range is a mountain range in the Rocky Mountains of north central Colorado in the United States. The range runs for approximately 60 miles northwest-to-southeast, through western Grand and Summit counties, and eastern Routt and Eagle counties...
, part of the Rocky Mountains
Rocky Mountains
The Rocky Mountains are a major mountain range in western North America. The Rocky Mountains stretch more than from the northernmost part of British Columbia, in western Canada, to New Mexico, in the southwestern United States...
in the US state of Colorado
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
. It is located in the Eagles Nest Wilderness
Eagles Nest Wilderness
The Eagles Nest Wilderness is a U.S. Wilderness Area located in the Gore Range near Vail, Copper Mountain, Frisco, Silverthorne, and Heeney, in Summit and Eagle Counties Colorado. Eagles Nest Wilderness falls within the jurisdiction of Dillon Ranger District and Holy Cross Ranger District, White...
, Summit County
Summit County, Colorado
Summit County is the 19th most populous of the 64 counties of the state of Colorado of the United States. The county population was 23,538 at U.S. Census 2000. The county seat is Breckenridge...
. Salmon Willow Trail is north of Interstate 70
Interstate 70
Interstate 70 is an Interstate Highway in the United States that runs from Interstate 15 near Cove Fort, Utah, to a Park and Ride near Baltimore, Maryland. It was the first Interstate Highway project in the United States. I-70 approximately traces the path of U.S. Route 40 east of the Rocky...
, west of Highway 9, in Silverthorne
Silverthorne, Colorado
The Town of Silverthorne is a Home Rule Municipality that is the most populous town in Summit County, Colorado. According to 2006 Census Bureau estimates, the population of the city is 3,610.-Geography:...
. It connects the Gore Range Trail with Salmon Lake and the Willow Lakes that lie against Willow Peak and feed North Willow Creek.
The Salmon Willow trailhead is located in Willowbrook subdivision of Silverthorne. Approximately an hour up from the trailhead, the Salmon Willow Trail meets the Gore Range Trail
Gore Range Trail
Gore Range Trail is in the Gore Range, part of the Rocky Mountains in the US state of Colorado. It is located in the Eagles Nest Wilderness, Summit County. Buffalo Mountain Trail is north of Interstate 70, west of Highway 9, in Silverthorne...
at the base of Red Peak. The Gore Range trail
Gore Range Trail
Gore Range Trail is in the Gore Range, part of the Rocky Mountains in the US state of Colorado. It is located in the Eagles Nest Wilderness, Summit County. Buffalo Mountain Trail is north of Interstate 70, west of Highway 9, in Silverthorne...
proceeds north, meeting a junction with the Salmon Willow Trail. The Salmon Willow Trail ascends moderately, rising west into the valley between Red Peak and Willow Peak. Bearing to the right at the next junction, a trail
Trail
A trail is a path with a rough beaten or dirt/stone surface used for travel. Trails may be for use only by walkers and in some places are the main access route to remote settlements...
leads to Salmon Lake
Salmon Lake
-References:*...
, named for the pink boulders that surround this alpine lake. Proceeding straight to the ragged amphitheater formed by the mountains, a series of ponds lie ahead, feeding North Willow Creek. The Willow Lakes are two miles from the intersection with the Gore Range Trail
Gore Range Trail
Gore Range Trail is in the Gore Range, part of the Rocky Mountains in the US state of Colorado. It is located in the Eagles Nest Wilderness, Summit County. Buffalo Mountain Trail is north of Interstate 70, west of Highway 9, in Silverthorne...
. In summer, the broad valley is covered with the blossoms of high alpine
Alpine
The term alpine refers to the Alps, a European mountain range.Alpine may also refer to:- Geography and geology :* Alpine tundra, the biological community that occurs above the tree line at high altitude...
and tundra
Tundra
In physical geography, tundra is a biome where the tree growth is hindered by low temperatures and short growing seasons. The term tundra comes through Russian тундра from the Kildin Sami word tūndâr "uplands," "treeless mountain tract." There are three types of tundra: Arctic tundra, alpine...
wildflowers. Greatest Hikes in Central Colorado: Summit and Eagle Counties, a hiking guide by Kim Fenske, provides a description of Salmon Willow Trail.