Trails · State Forest State Park
Ranger Lakes Nature Trail
A short, gentle loop past the water at Ranger Lakes — the kind of easy walk you can do with little ones, a stroller-minded pace, or a cup of coffee still in hand.
Toggle Terrain / USGS Topo / Satellite / Street (top-right) · route © COTREX/CPW · tap a marker for waypoints
Ranger Lakes Nature Trail is about as friendly as a trail gets: a roughly third-of-a-mile dirt loop that leaves right from the Ranger Lakes Campground area in State Forest State Park, threads the pines beside the little lakes, and brings you back where you started. It's a loop, so there's no wrong-way and no long car shuttle — just an easy, level ramble that suits kids, grandparents, and anyone who wants the mountains without the mileage. COTREX lists it as an easy, dirt-surfaced trail open to foot, bike, and horse traffic, with leashed dogs welcome.
This is the west side of the divide, up along CO-14 past Cameron Pass, where State Forest State Park spreads out under the Never Summer and Medicine Bow ranges. The nature-trail framing is the whole point: a slow, interpretive lap for spotting birds, wildflowers, and the reflection of the peaks in the water rather than chasing a summit. It's managed by State Forest State Park, so a valid parks pass is required — and as always up high, check current conditions and seasonal access before you go.
Trail Facts
Length
0.3 mi (loop)
Elevation
9,250 → 9,250 ft
Elevation Gain
+10 ft
Type
Nature trail · loop
Uses
Hike · Bike · Horse
Bikes
Allowed
Stock / Horse
Allowed
Dogs
On leash
Surface
Dirt
Manager
State Forest State Park
Getting There
In State Forest State Park on the west side of Cameron Pass, off CO-14. The trail loops from the Ranger Lakes Campground area — look for the Ranger Lakes / nature-trail signs along the highway. A valid Colorado state parks pass is required to enter State Forest State Park; confirm the trailhead and current access on the park map before you go.
| 0.0 mi | Trailhead near Ranger Lakes Campground — loop start & end |
| ~0.15 mi | Far side of the loop along the Ranger Lakes shore |
| 0.3 mi | Loop closes back at the trailhead |
Know Before You Go
- Easy & family-friendly. A short, level dirt loop — a good pick for kids, an interpretive stroll, or a gentle warm-up walk near the campground.
- Open to hikers, bikes & horses. COTREX lists hike, bike, and horse use on a dirt surface; dogs are welcome on leash.
- It's a state park. Managed by State Forest State Park — a valid Colorado parks pass is required to enter, and it's part of the larger Cameron Pass / State Forest network.
- Check current conditions. High-country weather and seasonal access change fast — confirm the trailhead and conditions on the park map before heading up.
Take the Trail With You
Load the route onto your phone's GPS app, or print the details for the glovebox.
Coming soon — the Red Feather Lakes Trail App: offline maps and live GPS for every local trail, right in your pocket.
Built by Many Hands — Give a Little Back
Love this guide? Wear it. Every hat, tee, and cozy layer in our Red Feather Lakes collection helps us keep mapping trails and keeping this guide free — mountain apparel designed right here in the high country, with more trail gear on the way.
Shop the Collection →These trails don't tend themselves either. Every mile is watched over by volunteers and public stewards we lean on to bring you this guide — if you love these mountains, please pitch in for them too:
- Poudre Wilderness Volunteers — trail patrols & the official trail description Donate →
- Colorado Parks & Wildlife / COTREX — the mapped trail route & statewide trail data Donate →
- Arapaho & Roosevelt National Forest (USFS) — the public land itself Support →
- OpenStreetMap contributors — the Street basemap Donate →
- Google & USGS — trailhead location, ratings & topographic maps
Trail details compiled by the Red Feather Lakes Travel Guide from the sources above. Photography by us — more of our own trail images coming as we hike them.