Island Lake
Island Lake
5
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Set against a backdrop of dramatic cliffs, this scenic lake is an excellent destination for hikers and fishing enthusiasts.
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
5.0
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Maggie G
Salina, KS31 contributions
Sep 2020 • Couples
I'm not a hiking enthusist, but I do hike occasionally. This hike really kicked my butt. Its about 2600 feet of vertical gain over 4.2 miles (if you route through Ice Lakes first). It took me about 3 hours to reach Island lake. I started at 7 am on a Wednesday. There were about 15 other vehicles when I arrived. It took me about 2.25 hours to come back down the mountain. It was exhausting and my feet and legs were on fire. Plan to take water and snacks and to take several stops to catch your breathe. Its not easy. I would not recommend this hike to young children unless you want to carry them! And I would not recommend for older adults who are not in prime shape (or honestly, not young adults who are out of shape). I did however see lots of dogs making the trek. The viewer both lakes is beautiful and the entire hike offers fantastic views and photo opportunities!
Written September 19, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Julie S
Texas288 contributions
Jun 2013 • Friends
Start out hiking to Ice Lakes... but there is a cut off trail to go to Island Lake from this trail. It is not marked and the trail is faint to the right. It's in the open area and you can see the waterfall in a distance up the trail. Be sure to find a good hiking map which will direct you. I have always hiked to Ice Lakes, but now I take the trail to Island Lake and then hike over to Ice Lakes (not very far away at all). It's easier to go this way, then hike the Ice Lake trail coming back. It's one of the most beautiful hikes in Colorado! Enjoy waterfalls, streams, wild flowers, bright turquoise water with surrounding mountains! About an 8 mile round trip, ENJOY!
Written July 5, 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Akami1989
Austin, TX53 contributions
Aug 2015 • Friends
If you hike the Ice Lakes trail and you don't make the short hike up to Island Lake, you better have a good excuse as to why you skipped it. For us, this was the most breathtaking part of the entire trail. The lake was a brilliant, glowing emerald color, like the oceans in Hawaii. We spent hours wandering around the lake and soaking in the impressive scenery.
So if you do Ice Lakes, don't rob yourself of the best part of the trail. Go up to Island Lake. Just look across the stream that exits Ice Lake and you will see the trail going up the grassy slope. The hill may look intimidating but it's a very short trip, nothing compared to what you've already done to get up to Ice Lake.
So if you do Ice Lakes, don't rob yourself of the best part of the trail. Go up to Island Lake. Just look across the stream that exits Ice Lake and you will see the trail going up the grassy slope. The hill may look intimidating but it's a very short trip, nothing compared to what you've already done to get up to Ice Lake.
Written August 24, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Carolyn M
Los Angeles, CA54 contributions
Jul 2016 • Couples
The hike up to this stunning lake is beautiful on its own and then you are rewarded by this heavenly body of water. If you are brave enough, jump in for a swim, but be warned, it's FREEZING!
Written July 23, 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Zach J
Durango, CO11 contributions
Ice Lake Basin / Island Lake is one of the prettiest places on the planet. To access the main trailhead, it is roughly a 6 mile journey down a dirt road (South Mineral Creek Rd) just outside of Silverton. From the trailhead you quickly start gaining some decent altitude. There are beautiful sights all along the trail. For the most part the trail is well marked and easy to follow and there are many great trail maps on line with detailed directions. I would recommend hiking/running early because there isn't much protection above tree line for the afternoon t-storms that fire up. We got caught in a hail storm because we spent too much time being mesmerized by Island Lake the surrounding mountains, rather than keeping an eye on the sky.
Written October 28, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
JoelMarty
Newton, MA19 contributions
Jul 2012 • Couples
As the other reviewers have noted, the Upper Ice Lake is one of the premier hiking destinations in Colorado. But after you have caught your breath (physically and spiritually), it is time to break away from the awe-inspired crowd and head up to Island Lake. Don't worry - it will not be too difficult or to long, and it promises to be the icing on an already rich cake.
If you do not have a trail map or guide book, don't despair. Look behind you from the near shore of the Ice Lake and up a hill to the left. You should be able to make out the trail. To get there, you will have to do a relatively easy ford over the stream that feeds into the Ice Lake, but, once you are over this, it is a relatively modest trek up and around the bend to view the Island Lake. It has iridescent blue coloring and an almost jewel-like setting for the little island in the middle. A great place to have your lunch, and then head back down.
If you do not have a trail map or guide book, don't despair. Look behind you from the near shore of the Ice Lake and up a hill to the left. You should be able to make out the trail. To get there, you will have to do a relatively easy ford over the stream that feeds into the Ice Lake, but, once you are over this, it is a relatively modest trek up and around the bend to view the Island Lake. It has iridescent blue coloring and an almost jewel-like setting for the little island in the middle. A great place to have your lunch, and then head back down.
Written June 17, 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Jack E
Farmington5 contributions
Aug 2018 • Family
What a great time with family and friends making this into a full day hike!
We had 4 teenagers and 4 adults and not any of us accustomed to hiking! We took our time going up and let me tell you the last 700 ft elevation gain was tuff! We pushed thru and finally made it to Ice Lake
After eating and taking some time to soak in the beauty and a little cold soak we made it down!
It was a full 8.5 hour day of hiking and viewing!
I think it took 4 hours to reach the top and 2.5 hours down. This is a big challenge for any who are not accustomed to hiking, but it’s manageable
We had 4 teenagers and 4 adults and not any of us accustomed to hiking! We took our time going up and let me tell you the last 700 ft elevation gain was tuff! We pushed thru and finally made it to Ice Lake
After eating and taking some time to soak in the beauty and a little cold soak we made it down!
It was a full 8.5 hour day of hiking and viewing!
I think it took 4 hours to reach the top and 2.5 hours down. This is a big challenge for any who are not accustomed to hiking, but it’s manageable
Written August 6, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Summit Love
Albuquerque, NM84 contributions
Aug 2015 • Friends
An amazing 8.4 mile round trip hike will take you up the 2,552-ft. to Island Lake. The colors seem surreal, a beautiful turquoise lake, surrounded by high peaks. There was still snow by Island lake when we visited in August. Words can not describe how gorgeous and pristine it was.
Written August 31, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
k4mMarksville
marksville27 contributions
Aug 2015 • Family
Well, out of our group of 9 that made it to Ice Lake, only 3 made the additional trek up to Island Lake. It's not a bad hike from Ice Lake. It took us about 25 minutes from Ice Lake. It's elevation is about 300' higher than Ice Lake. It's worth the extra energy/time if you have it. Another hiker had told us that there is a less traveled trail that makes a loop and comes back to main trail just below the meadow. We didn't try it, just backtracked. Wish we had a trail map.
Written August 17, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
MLeeTPA
Tampa, FL109 contributions
Jul 2015 • Couples
One of the most beautiful places on earth! Perfect for a day hike or spend a week in the surrounding area... You absolutely won't be sorry you came here.
Written August 26, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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