White River National Forest · Colorado

Lyle Lake

3.0 mi of trail, end to end · native material surface · trail No. 1919 · trail class 3 · typical grade trail_grade · tread 18-24 inches wide · hiking, horse

Trailhead Lyle/Morman Lake TH #1919 Drive there

Lyle/Morman Lake TH #1919 the Forest Service's write-up

If you decide to go on this hike, it is one of the most scenic in the Fryingpan River area. The trail goes through acres of broad valleys and scattered trees for the first 1.5 miles to Lyle Lake. About 300 feet above and 1/4 of a mile further than Lyle Lake is a tarn (a small lake) one might want to explore before going on to Mormon Lake. Once getting to Lyle Lake you have two choices on how to get to Mormon Lake; the path to the right is shorter, but involves crossing a small boulder field. Follow the trail over the crest and get ready for a gentle traverse. You will climb until wall at the valley's head to a grassy vale, pass a tarn on your left, veering left and you then will be able to see Mormon Lake 80 feet below.

Restrictions <ul><li><a href="https://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/whiteriver/recarea/?recid=81113">Holy Cross Wilderness </a>regulations apply to areas within the Wilderness boundary</li><li>Dogs must be leashed </li></ul>

This hike on fs.usda.gov

Every trail in White River National Forest

All 729 trails in White River National ForestFind a trailForest on fs.usda.gov

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.