White River National Forest · Colorado
Cataract Lake Loop
2.1 mi of trail, end to end · native material surface · trail No. 57 · trail class 2 · typical grade trail_grade · tread 18-24 inches wide · hiking
Trailhead Lower Cataract Lake Loop TH #57 Drive there
Lower Cataract Lake Loop TH #57 the Forest Service's write-up
This is a loop trail in the Eagles Nest Wilderness which can be hiked in either direction. From the trailhead, you will have a view of Cataract Falls in the distance across the lake. The trail passes through beautiful meadows and there is an abundance of wildflowers in mid-late June. This is a great hike for families and has beautiful lake, mountain and meadow scenery along the way.
Restrictions <ul><li>Closed to motor vehicles and mountain bikes </li><li>Open to hiking and horseback riding <br /><br />Trail enters the <a href="https://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/whiteriver/recarea/?recid=81106">Eagles Nest Wilderness Area</a></li></ul>
This hike on fs.usda.gov
Every trail in White River National Forest
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.
