Hiking in the Mirror Lake Trails: trails, map and practical info

Mirror Lake Trail is in the northern Gore Range, part of the Rocky Mountains in the U.S. state of Colorado. It is located in the Eagles Nest Wilderness, Summit County. Mirror Lake Trail is north of Interstate 70, west of Highway 9, north of Silverthorne and near Heeney. The trail extends west from Upper Cataract Lake to its junction with the Elliot Ridge Trail. Mirror Lake lies at the base of Elliot Ridge, in a bowl below Meridian Peak, 12,630 feet, and the Eagles Nest for which the Eagles Nest Wilderness was named. Wildlife in the area includes pika, cougar, mule deer, elk, marmot, coyote, ptarmigan, and gray jay. Wildflowers that bloom in the area include moss campion (Silene acaulis), alpine forget-me-not (Myosotis alpestris), sky pilot (Polemonium viscosum), mountain gentian or Ranier pleated gentian (Gentiana parryi) or (Gentiana calycosa), and paintbrush (Castilleja). Cataract Creek divides the Mirror Lake Trail between Upper Cataract Lake and Mirror Lake, so care must be taken on the return from the lake to the valley to cross Cataract Creek and ascend the ridge along the south side of the valley. Failure to make the crossing resulted in at least one hiker being lost for three days in the forest on the north side of the valley in recent years. Mirror Lake Trail is accessible from the Eaglesmere Lakes Trail, Elliot Ridge Trail, and Surprise Lake Trail. Greatest Hikes in Central Colorado: Summit and Eagle Counties, a hiking guide by Kim Fenske, provides a description of Mirror Lake Trail.