St Mary's Glacier

Long on views and uniqueness short in hike!This is a local favorite. A place that is easily accessed, has a year round snow field and is just plain fun. Lake front. Fishing. Glisading. Skiing. Boarding. Hiking. Views and blue sky are all in abundance at St Mary's Glacier. It's great fun to tromp through the snow in summer time. Watch crazy boarders sail down the small ice field living their best lives in shorts and tank tops. Adventure above the snow field and find above treeline terrain and majestic views and a hike to the top of James Peak. Parking is a bitch. Weekends are crowded and it's always busy but worth the time. Definitely a fun place to bring folks from out of town!

First things first...it's $20 for parking! The price has gone up substantially within the last 3.5 years. It use to be $5 for parking, then $7, now $20! The porta potties are nasty, I was trying my best to avoid them but I had drank so much water prior to my hike and had to go. The hike is considered moderately challenging...I would not recommend this for someone that does not have good support or balance. I witness an older man fell and it scared the crap out of me! It is extremely rocky! There are both big and small rocks but you if you're going with someone that has never experienced this type of hike, make sure they watch their step. It was a little intense for my little fit son due to rapid increase in elevation. He kept complaining he was tired and wanted to rest but also kept pushing himself...come to find out poor kid he ended up with mountain sickness. When we got to the top, he played in the water and had so much fun. He didn't want to leave. It was soo beautiful! The air was so nice, cool, and crisp! The water was cold, I couldn't believe people were swimming while it's 65 degrees. I'm sure the water was at least 50 degrees COLD!

Short climb, incredible pay off. 360 degree views, frozen lake, snow drifts, and unforgettable landscapes.

My partner totally suckered me into hiking St Mary's Glacier with photos of this breathtaking sight. Looks exactly the way it does on Instagram! We drove over and found a parking spot, paying the $20 fee by putting cash into an envelope into and dropping it into the collection box. I think it was more recently increased, so we thankfully scraped together enough money.I understand why people bring hiking poles, because of all the ice. My shoes didn't have enough traction, so I slipped a few times. That's the beauty (and danger) of St Mary's Glacier. There's a few directions to travel, depending on how high up you want to go. And you can slide down if you dare. Dog friendly. Family friendly. Overall one of my favorite hikes in Colorado!

Self parking is $20 cash where you get an envelope and drop the money in the designated collection box. They do have someone watching and will leave you a note on your vehicle to pay the $20. This is my first snow hike and it was beautiful. Pretty nice lake that was frozen solid and was able to walk on it. Very nice scenery and relaxing. I did hike up the mountain and it was a tough hike for me, but I did make it! Enjoyed my time here.

The potential negatives are the $20 parking fee for a lot that isn't great, and the trail itself is very minimally marked. HOWEVER... good gracious, the lake and glacier are absolutely stunning and completely worth it when you get there! We came in June and definitely got confused a few times and met many other hikers who were also turned around, but once we made it to the lake, we were mesmerized by the view and taking a pretty easy walk up to glacier to make snow angels with our kids (while wearing our shorts and T-shirts from the hike) was a memorable experience for sure. This was probably my favorite place on our Colorado trip.

The hike is a little challenging due to how many rocks there however it is a great workout for your legs. Also, it's a short hike and you get to the top pretty quickly and once you get there, it's extremely beautiful.

Our friend who lives in Denver recommended we check this place out due to the short hike and beautiful views. Glad we did, we chilled out for a couple hours there. There's a beautiful drive up to see the colors change of the trees as well. Parking is $5 cash. You'll fill out a form, attach part of it to the windshield, and place cash into envelope. There are port-a-potties in the parking area. It's a dog friendly place and we saw many cuties on the hike. Our dog would have loved it but he's back in AZ. Too bad pup lol. The hike is not long. However it's pretty much just upward, not steep but the trail is rocky and not enjoyable IMO. Super rocky trails are a pain since you have to watch your footing the entire time. And man, coming from AZ to this hike we really felt the elevation change. I think I heard someone saying it's 10 or 11k up there. I forgot my watch so I didn't log mileage or elevation gain but I didn't need my Apple Watch to tell me, my breath and racing heart let me know we were up there. So, it's an easy hike (kids all over the place doing it) but there were moments we stopped to catch our breath. Anyway, I didn't go there for the hiking, I went to hang out and take in the beautiful view. That we did! Once the active part was done we chilled out near the waterfall, glacier lake, and watched some crazy teens jump in the freezing water. It was really relaxing and enjoyable.

I had no idea this existed, until a local mentioned it, thank you sir! Not far from Mount Evans is this adorable little Glacier that sticks around apparently all year long. It's a little glacier, but its a lovely spot on a gorgeous small lake. Words can't describe, pictures don't tell the entire story, you just have to do it! It does require a rather steep and rocky 3/4 mile hike to get to, be sure to bring water, wear sturdy shoes or boots, and proper clothing. This hike is not for the weak! I'm also a Californian living at sea level, and I'm in fairly good shape, but hiking at 10,000+ feet was exhausting! But it was all so worth it for the gorgeous views, especially the little native squirrels running around.

Beautiful hike! Have extra water, good boots and maybe oxygen with you if you are not used to the altitude. The climb up is steep and rocky but the views are worth the climb.