Rogers Peak Lake

Derek Regensburger
August 28, 2017
Colorado / James Peak Wilderness / Landscape

I backpacked to Rogers Peak Lake in the James Peak Wilderness near Rollinsville, CO. The lake sits at treeline in a beautiful valley near the East Portal train tunnel. Rogers Peak is a pointed mountain that frames the south east side of the lake. The hike to get to the lake is about 4.5 miles. It is moderate climb from the trailhead until the last mile when the trail begins to climb steeply up to the basin.

Trail Description

The trail begins rather easily as it parallels the railroad tunnel. At about 1/2 mile, the trail divides. The fork to the right leads to Forest Lakes. After a mile, the trail enters the forest and begins to climb up a rocky embankment. You catch glimpses of the pretty South Boulder Creek through the trees. Around 2 miles, the trail forks again. The right fork leads to Crater Lake trail. Around three miles, the trail crosses South Boulder Creek and climbs steadily to the lake from here. The trail crosses several boggy spots and is lined with tree roots in this section. The trees thin around mile 4 and the lake is close at hand. Camping is plentiful below the lake, just a past a small tarn to the left. Once at the lake, the trail continues up to Rogers Lake Pass or diverts to Heart Lake.

Rogers Peak Lake contains several species of trout and offers decent fishing for sizable fish. I caught three brook trout. The lake is good for photography both at sunrise and sunset. It’s also a good place to see the Milky Way.

Getting There

Take Highway 119 from Boulder to Nederland and turn south. Go 5 miles to Rollinsville and turn right onto a dirt road to the East Portal. Go 8 miles to the trailhead.