Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests · Colorado

Rainbow Lakes

0.9 mi of trail, end to end · native material surface · trail No. 918 · trail class 3 · typical grade 12-20% · tread 18-24 inches wide · hiking, horse, bike · seasonal: hiking 06/01-10/31

Trailhead Rainbow Lakes Trailhead Drive there

Rainbow Lakes Trailhead the Forest Service's write-up

Day use fee is $10 per vehicle. Pay at the onsite fee tube with cash or check.

Located east of the Rainbow Lakes Campground , this newly constructed trailhead provides access to the Rainbow Lakes and Arapaho Glacier Trails inside the Indian Peaks Wilderness .

Vehicle access to this trailhead is seasonal. For current information on road openings and closures, check the Road Status Table .

View an area map here.

Restrictions Indian&nbsp;Peak Wilderness restrictions apply: <ul><li><strong>Motorized equipment&nbsp;and mechanized&nbsp;transportation are prohibited. </strong></li><li><strong>Pets must be on a hand-held leash at all times. </strong></li><li><strong>Campfires are&nbsp;prohibited year round.</strong></li><li><strong>Campsites must be at least 100 feet&nbsp;away from water and trail.</strong></li><li><strong>Group size is limited to 12 (people and livestock combined).</strong></li><li><strong>Processed weed-free feed is required for stock.</strong></li><li><strong>Practice <a href="http://lnt.org/why/7-principles/?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIhsvkoYej7AIVjYTICh2FQgqwEAAYASABEgK3nvD_BwE">Leave No Trace principles.</a></strong></li></ul><strong>Dispersed camping is prohibited</strong>&nbsp;within &frac14; mile of either side of Rainbow Lakes Road. See <a href="http://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/fseprd910647.pdf">Order</a> Fishing and hunting: permitted in accordance with regulations established by Colorado Parks &amp; Wildlife.

Accessibility <p>The Rainbow Lakes Road is closed in winter near the Sourdough Trailhead and CU Mountain Research Station. The road is open when conditions permit: most often in June. Hiking conditions are best from July through September.</p>

This trailhead on fs.usda.gov

Every trail in Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests

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About this trail's facts

The lines are the US Forest Service's National Forest System trails layer (public domain), read 2026-10-16 and simplified for the map; the length is the line's, end to end, and the class, surface, grade and tread width are the forest's own entries where it publishes them - a forest that publishes the centreline alone has none. The trailheads and the points along the way are the Service's recreation points, and the write-ups its own recarea text, unedited. Heights come from USGS 3DEP through Terrain Tiles on AWS (Mapzen/Tilezen), read along each line and rounded; a short trail on steep ground can be off by a few tens of feet. Closures change: check the forest's own site before you go.