Photo Credit:
Katie Reynolds | IG: @planet.katie | Original Post: January 21, 2021
At a Glance:
| Location: | St. Mary’s Dr. Idaho Springs, CO |
| Trail or Landmark Name / Map: | Saint Mary’s Glacier |
| Parking Coordinates: | 39.825517, -105.644591 |
| Photo Coordinates: | 39.829145, -105.642582 |
| Distance: | Full Trail: 1.9 miles, Out-and-Back Photo Location: .5 miles round trip, Out-and-Back |
| Time to Complete: | Full Trail: 1-2 hours Photo Location: 20 min |
| Difficulty: | Easy |
| Elevation Gain: | 807 ft |
| Quick Facts: | ✔ Entrance Fee: $5 / car ✔ Restrooms Available ✔ Kid Friendly ✔ Dog Friendly (leashed) ✖ Wheelchair Accessible ✖ Bike Friendly |
Description:
The photographer took this photo during the winter, on January 9, 2021. While the photo does not showcase Saint Mary’s Glacier itself, this location just off the trail is a beautiful and secluded spot to see a winter wonderland without much effort.
Google Map to “St Mary’s Glacier Trailhead, Saint Marys Drive, Idaho Springs, CO“. There is a large parking lot just before the trailhead (at 39.825517, -105.644591). Park here and pay the $5 entrance fee at the self-service station. From the parking lot, continue walking up the mountain along the street for about 500 feet until you reach the wide trailhead opening on your left.
A few minutes later, about 700 feet into the trail, you will see a fork (labeled “Fox Ct.” on the map image below). The main trail continues to the left. The right trail is a dead end, but that is where you will find the photo location above. Walk a couple of minutes down this side trail and you will see the fallen tree across the path (as of January 9, 2021).
Head back to the fork and continue along the rest of the main trail (about a mile total) to see Saint Mary’s Glacier. The trail is fairly rocky but not very steep. The glacial lake is beautiful both in the summer and winter (see below for summer photo). In the winter, the lake can freeze over and hikers can enjoy climbing the slopes on the back side to get a better view or to sled down onto the lake.
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