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 Reporter |
Summary: From the trailhead follow the obvious path west along North Cottonwood Creek. The trail crosses North Cottonwood Creek a few times, but log bridges make this an easy task. Be sure to stay on a Westward path on your way to the lake. A few trails turn off of this one, but quickly head North or South. As soon as you break out of the trees you will find yourself in a beautiful basin surrounding Kroenke Lake. There are several good campsites developed around the lake. If you camp please do so in a place that is 300 feet from water to help preserve the pristine beauty of this lake. Trailhead: From the Stoplight in Buena Vista head north on highway 24 to Crossman Avenue and take left. Follow Crossman until you come to a T in the road. Turn right. The road will soon curve left and then back right. When it curves right there is a sharp left for County road 365. Take County road 365 to its end at the parking lot for North Cottonwood Trailhead. (Lat:38.87083 Lon:-106.2667) Trail Guides for Kroenke Lake: Best Seasons: Fall, Spring, Summer, User Groups: Hikers, Dogs, Horses, Ranger Contact: San Isabel National Forest 719-553-1400 (main office) Localhikes Reporter: This hike was submitted by Joshua Friesema, who has posted 97 other hikes on this site. To visit this reporters web site, click here. Trail Reviews Submit your own review 
Reviewed by KB on 8/11/2009 Several friends and I backpacked to and camped at Kroenke this past weekend. The road to the trailhead is better suited for a high clearance vehicle. I used the 4-wheel-drive to keep from scrubbing my rear tires on the steeper grades. Hike is for those in shape. It is not so much the grade but the grade plus the distance. The hike on over Brown's pass is worth it just for the view from the top.
Reviewed by Stu on 10/22/2007 Ditto, Peggy Sue. I have an AWD Subaru and bottomed out and lost all traction in the craters on 365. Added 5 miles to my hike (which my GPS had at almost 15 miles total). At about 4/10ths of a mile from the trailhead there was a path on a slope that the thawing and refreezing made very slick. It would have been about 30' slide to the valley below. At 3 miles from TH a two log bridge about 6' over creek had more give than I like, and was snow covered/slick. All in all a great hike, once you get to the TH.
Reviewed by Peggy Sue on 7/25/2007 The hike was moderate for our family. We had trouble clearing the rocks and washed out gullies on the road to the trailhead. Perhaps because of heavy rains washing out the road. So we had to park 4 miles from the trailhead and walk to it. This made our 8 mile hike a 16 mile trek. Our youngest (19 year old) son did some flyfishing in the lake. Would've liked to spend more time there. Maybe next time.
Reviewed by PT on 11/3/2006 I did this hike about 4 years ago. My Uncle, Cousins, and I went on this hike. It was challenging. However, we all wanted to pull it together. However 3/4 of this hike, was probably the trickiest part. It has a steep grade. We made it up the mountain in around 4 and a half hours. Once you get the the top you are impressed. It is beautiful. If your like me you probably would want to live there. I highly recommend it for all ages. Its a fun and rewarding hike! Notice: Traveling in the backcountry can be hazardous. You are responsible for informing yourself about these hazards and taking necessary precautions. Information on this web site comes from volunteer reporters and may contain errors or omissions. A current guidebook and proper equipment are essential for safe enjoyment of the hikes posted on this site. Keys: Colorado Hiking, Colorado Trails, Colorado Hikes, Chaffee County Hiking, Chaffee County Trails, Chaffee County Hikes | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
