Herman Gulch Trail Head

Hiked with a bunch of friends up to the top of Hassell Peak via Herman Gulch.This is a really really beautiful hike...not a really easy hike. As you start at over 10k going to over 12k.Herman lake is gorgeous from all of the snow melt.Several stream crossings.Plenty of doggies on trail.Great parking lot with okay toilets.

Great little hike. It was so much fun!! I will definitely be going there again !! Somewhere to go if you want a quick little hike

Trail head starts right next to the I 70 and plenty of parking through out the area. When you pull into the area, make the right instead of going up the hill.Overall, steep incline for 1st mile or so and rest of the hike is nice and leisurely hike while enjoying the scenery. Most of the hike is next to the creek and wild flowers (during the warmer season) and the trail is maintained very well. When I visited, there were no columbines but other wild flowers were abundant. Lots of mushrooms to admire at also.Depending on your ability, I would rate as easy to moderate. When you are ready to take the lake photo with the gorgeous background, try to do it at the junction closer to the lake.

Right off I-70 at exit 218 is the Herman Gulch Trailhead. Literally. You start the trail with the sound of speeding cars whizzing by. This was a first for me. Interesting to say the least when considering your end destination deep in the wilderness!That good ole Rocky Mountain elevation hits you at the very beginning. Five minutes in you're hitting your first significant incline. After a night on the town, this trail was a brutal wake up call to start my Sunday morning.**I SAW TWO MOOSE RIGHT WHEN I GOT INTO THE MEADOW**It took over a year being a Colorado resident to see my first moose while hiking. These majestic beasts were taking their sweet time crossing the meadow and eventually disappeared into the woods. It was awesome!There's a final push to Herman Lake. You'll know it when you're in the thick of it. However, the beautiful mountain peaks foreshadow how close you are. And just like that, you're there. I have to say, this trail is popular and the lake was pretty crowded around 8:45am on a Sunday morning. Great views along all sides of the lake. The sun was shining bright yesterday, so I found a patch of grass, tipped my cap over my eyes and basked in a little cat nap. Damnit, it was delightful. I flew back on the way down. Overall a three and a half hour day. Started at 7am to a fairly full parking lot and a crisp 45 degree moring. Would recommend to someone looking for a moderate difficulty hike and great views an hour away from Denver!

GORGEOUS! will definitely be back!This trail is literally right off I70 which was nice! we were looking for a hike we could stop and do on our way up to gunnison. This was perfect. There are porta-pottys at the trailhead. However there are no trash cans, so be prepared to pack OUT what you pack in and take that trash with you! including your dog poop bags. No bags at the trail head so bring some with you!Currently trail has some ice, snow and then dry spots. It would probably be ideal to have some spikes when you are on the trail if coming anytime soon!The first mile or so is steep incline so be prepared. after that it does have incline but its not so intense. the first stretch is open but after the first mile, you get back into some trees and it was like a winter wonderland. It was so beautiful and quiet.This would be one i would want to come back and do in the summer or fall and see what it looks like when its dry. Such a beautiful trail!

This is one of my favorites hikes I've done in Colorado to date. I've never heard of this hike nor ever noticed it off I-70 but was looking for a hike to do in Idaho Springs and boom, Herman Gulch to the rescue! I was surprised that's in Idaho Springs because we passed the city coming here but I guess it reaches over?We came here at 10AM on a Saturday and there were still spots available, hooray! I was surprised there's no trash can at the trailhead, whats up with that? Instead there's a lovely pile of trash and dog poop along with portipotties since the bathrooms were closed. Like others have said the first part is steep then it levels off and unfortunately gets even stepper. My calves got a workout and my friend and I stopped quite a bit on our ascent to the lake as the air got thinner. We experienced sunshine, snow, wind and cold, it was the whole gamut but the hike was definitely worth it. I'm still a bit confused about the distance of the hike, the trailhead said 5 miles round trip, online reviews said 6.2 and my Fitbit registered at 8 miles so who knows. It took us 4.5 hours with lots of breaks and a snack at the lake. The views are absolutely amazing and breathtaking (literally!), I kind of felt like I was in the Sound of Music at some points. Wonderful hike if you're up for it!!

This trail right off the highway and is more intended for cross country skiers or snowshoers (if you're going in the snow months). I came today with just hiking boots and sank into the snow pretty deep as the trails are heavy with fluffy snow and was less trodden. There is a lake @ some point past marker 98 but we weren't able to make it. We hiked about an hour and a half in and probably got close to the lake but had to turn around because we were often knee deep in snow. The beginning of the trail starts with a good incline but mellows out for the majority of the latter parts of the trail. There are chipmunks and birds and supposedly lynx and other wildlife (we saw the first two). There is a small peep of a creek viewable at this time of the year. I imagine that it's much more beautiful as the snow melts and the creek becomes more visible. A fellow hiker told us that there are pretty flowers there come warmer seasons. I anticipate on returning during a time when I either have snowshoes or when the snow is less fluffy.

WOW!!!I'm so happy my friend recommended this hike. Came here on a week day during the summer around 9AM. There was plenty of parking and BATHROOMS! The initial incline is steep and not easy but once you're past it, the meadows are absolutely beautiful and a lot easier to get up. The next incline is pretty steep as well but once you think you're at the lake, think again. Another 10 mins or so you will be there and it is worth it! Enjoy, take pictures, have a bite to eat and catch you breathe.

Experiencing this yourself is the only way you can understand how I felt when I did this trail on my first day visiting Colorado. It is about 25 minutes or so from Silverthorne, CO and you park in the parking lot and hike up from 10,000 ft to 12,000 ft to the top. The end of the hike and the start of the hike are the steepest climbs a total of about 3.2 miles up and 3.2 miles down. Amazing and well worth it. Be sure to take a water pack along with good hiking shoes and lots of snacks. If you can take a kindle or something with you at the top so you can relax at the end and enjoy your amazing achievement. The hike up took just as long as the hike down so do keep in mind you will need to reserve about 5 hours for this. At the top it is colder and you can see snow right across the water that streams down the mountain. Though this hike is considered moderate it was probably one of the toughest hikes I have done. In addition, my brother, niece at age 5, nephew age 4, mother age 66 all accomplished this hike! If they can do it so can you! You just need a lot of water, food, and time on your hands. Allocate an entire day for this hike and do it on a weekday if possible because people mentioned it can get a bit crowded on the weekend which makes it less fun. I would defiantly recommend this hike to friends and family.

If you are a climber, continue up from the lake, there is a double summit peak known as "The Citadel" which is a great scramble