Rio Grande National Forest · Colorado

Duck Lake

3.7 mi of trail, end to end · native material surface · trail No. 732 · trail class 3 · typical grade 12-20% · tread 18-24 inches wide · hiking, horse

Trailhead Duck Lake Trailhead - Trail # 732 Drive there

Duck Lake Trailhead - Trail # 732 the Forest Service's write-up

The Duck Lake trail is 3.7 miles long. It begins at Forest Road 128 and ends at Duck Lake.

The trail is a fairly gentle walk that offers scenic vistas of the Conejos Valley and gives access to several small fishing lakes. The South San Juan Wilderness is entered about 2/3 of the way up the trail.

The trail is fairly steep for the first mile as it climbs to the bench above Elk Creek. The remaining two miles traverses gently rolling terrain. Duck Lake is popular for fishing and is often the main attraction to those traveling this trail. At several points along the trail spectacular views into the Conejos River Valley can be enjoyed. Just below Duck Lake there is a waterfall where South Elk Creek tumbles over a high ledge.

The trail is open for the following uses: Horseback riding, hiking, backpacking, cross country skiing and snow shoeing. Up to the wilderness boundary, mountain biking is allowed.

This trailhead on fs.usda.gov

Every trail in Rio Grande National Forest

All 227 trails in Rio Grande National ForestFind a trailForest on fs.usda.gov

About this trail's facts

The lines are the US Forest Service's National Forest System trails layer (public domain), read 2026-10-16 and simplified for the map; the length is the line's, end to end, and the class, surface, grade and tread width are the forest's own entries where it publishes them - a forest that publishes the centreline alone has none. The trailheads and the points along the way are the Service's recreation points, and the write-ups its own recarea text, unedited. Heights come from USGS 3DEP through Terrain Tiles on AWS (Mapzen/Tilezen), read along each line and rounded; a short trail on steep ground can be off by a few tens of feet. Closures change: check the forest's own site before you go.