Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests · Colorado

Mitchell Lake

2.4 mi of trail, end to end · native material surface · trail No. 912 · trail class 3 · typical grade 12-20% · tread 18-24 inches wide · hiking, bike · seasonal: hiking 06/01-10/31

Trailheads Beaver Creek Trailhead Drive there · Mitchell Lake Trailhead Drive there

Beaver Creek Trailhead the Forest Service's write-up

<a href="https://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/arp/recreation/hiking/recarea/?recid=28182&amp;actid=50">Brainard Lake Recreation Area</a> fees&nbsp;apply during the summer operating season (typically late June through mid-October).

Beaver Creek Trailhead is adjacent to the same parking area as the Mitchell Lake Trailhead at the west end of the Brainard Lake Recreation Area (BLRA). Parking is available for 60 vehicles. Trailhead hosts are available to answer questions on summer weekends. This trailhead provides access to the Beaver Creek Trail .

Hiking trails to the west of the BLRA enter into the Indian Peaks Wilderness . Visitors that hike trails leading west from the Long Lake or Mitchell Lake Trailhead, are responsible for following all Indian Peaks Wilderness Regulations and permit requirements.

View an area map here.

This trailhead is open seasonally. For current information on road openings and closures, check the Road Status Table .

Beaver Creek Trail (#911)

Length: Mitchell Lake Trailhead (TH) to Mount Audubon Trail - 1.7 miles; Coney Flats TH - 5.1 miles; to Buchanan Pass Trail - 6.9 miles. DISTANCES ARE ONE-WAY.

Elevation: 10,460 feet at Mitchell Lake TH; 11,250 feet at Beaver Creek Trail intersection with Mount Audubon Trail; 9,800 feet at Coney Flats TH

Trail Description: Beaver Creek Trail enters into the Indian Peaks Wilderness shortly after leaving the Beaver Creek Trailhead . After a few switchbacks, the trail circles the ridge and intersects with the Mount Audubon Trail.

Beaver Creek Trail continues northward for 3.4 miles, descending the northeastern flank of the mountain on a nice graded trail, finally dropping into Coney Flats. From Coney Flats the Beaver Creek Trail turns west into the Indian Peaks Wilderness. The Coney Lake Trail intersects 0.25 miles west of Coney Flats, and Beaver Creek Trail ends at Buchanan Pass Trail, 1.8 miles west of Coney Flats.

Latlong : 40.083648; -105.581

Click here for a trail summary.

View a trail map here.

Restrictions <ul><li><strong>Prohibited:</strong> Pack animals (horses/llamas); recreational shooting (except for legal hunting) and being on trails posted as closed.</li><li><strong>Brainard Lake Recreation Area Summer Season</strong> (May 1 - Nov 14): Dogs must be on a hand-held leash at all times;&nbsp;when open, developed camping is only allowed&nbsp;at Pawnee Campground&nbsp;(no camping in&nbsp;closed campgrounds); dispersed camping is only allowed north of the South St Vrain Creek.</li><li><strong>Brainard Lake Recreation Area Winter Season</strong> (Nov 15 - Apr 30): Motorized vehicles are prohibited; dogs allowed only on the Brainard Lake and Lefthand Park Reservoir Roads; camping is prohibited within 1/4 mile of developed recreation sites except Red Rock Lake; skis only on Little Raven and CMC Ski Trail.</li><li>Practice <a href="http://lnt.org/why/7-principles/?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIhsvkoYej7AIVjYTICh2FQgqwEAAYASABEgK3nvD_BwE">Leave No Trace principles.</a></li></ul><strong>Fishing and Hunting:</strong> Permitted in accordance&nbsp;with regulations established by Colorado Parks &amp; Wildlife.

This trailhead on fs.usda.gov

Mitchell Lake Trailhead the Forest Service's write-up

Day Use Area (Passenger Vehicle) Per vehicle, per day $16<br /> Day Use Area (Up to 15-Person Van) Per vehicle, per day $38<br /> Day Use Area (Bus) Per vehicle, per day $61<br /> Day Use Area (Motorcycles) Per vehicle, per day&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;$9<br /> Day Use Area (Cyclists &amp; Pedestrian Access) Per person, per day $0 <a href="https://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/arp/recreation/hiking/recarea/?recid=28182&amp;actid=50">Brainard Lake Recreation Area</a> fees apply&nbsp;during the summer operating season (typically&nbsp;late&nbsp;June through&nbsp;mid-October.

One of the most popular trailheads on the Boulder Ranger District, Mitchell Lake Trailhead is located at the west end of the Brainard Lake Recreation Area . Parking is available for 60 vehicles. Trailhead hosts are available to answer questions on summer weekends. This trailhead provides access to Mitchell Lake, Mount Audubon and Beaver Creek trail within the Indian Peaks Wilderness .

Visitors that hike trails leading west from the Long Lake or Mitchell Lake Trailhead are responsible for following all Indian Peaks Wilderness Regulations and permit requirements. Camping and campfires are prohibited within the Four Lakes Backcountry Zone .

View a COTREX map .

View a trailhead map .

This trailhead is open seasonally. For current information on road openings and closures, check the Road Status Table .

Restrictions <ul><li><strong>Prohibited:</strong> Pack animals (horses/llamas); recreational shooting (except for legal hunting) and being on trails posted as closed.</li><li><strong>Brainard Lake Recreation Area Summer Season</strong> (May 1 - Nov 14): Dogs must be on a hand-held leash at all times;&nbsp;when open, developed camping is only allowed&nbsp;at Pawnee Campground&nbsp;(no camping in&nbsp;closed campgrounds); dispersed camping is only allowed north of the South St Vrain Creek.</li><li><strong>Brainard Lake Recreation Area Winter Season</strong> (Nov 15 - Apr 30): Motorized vehicles are prohibited; dogs allowed only on the Brainard Lake and Lefthand Park Reservoir Roads; camping is prohibited within 1/4 mile of developed recreation sites except Red Rock Lake; skis only on Little Raven and CMC Ski Trail.</li><li>Practice <a href="http://lnt.org/why/7-principles/?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIhsvkoYej7AIVjYTICh2FQgqwEAAYASABEgK3nvD_BwE">Leave No Trace principles.</a></li></ul><strong>Fishing and Hunting:</strong> Permitted in accordance&nbsp;with regulations established by Colorado Parks &amp; Wildlife.

Accessibility <p>Due to its high elevation, the Brainard area is not generally snow-free until July. The seasonally-open Brainard Lake Road is typically open in late June and closes mid-October.</p>

This trailhead on fs.usda.gov

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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.