Sweetwater
Trailhead Sweetwater TH #1854 Drive there
Cross Creek TH #1855 the Forest Service's write-up
The Cross Creek trail begins at Ute - Deep Trail #2031 and ends at Sweetwater Trail #1854. Hike the Ute Trail #2031 for about 1/4 mile and turn right onto this trail, which runs parallel to Sweetwater Canyon and quickly drops down into a lush aspen forest in the first 1/2 mile and crosses Lake Creek, before a steep sagebrush and scrub oak hill. As the trail enters a large wet meadow, it becomes faint, but continues again straight across near an aspen grove. From this point on the trail is fairly level passing through spruce/ fir forests with some aspen. After crossing the Dry Sweetwater Creek the trail ends connecting onto Sweetwater Trail #1854 which can be utilized to return back to the Sweetwater Lake area, about 2 miles northwest of Sweetwater Campground. Early summer is the best time to find excellent displays of lupine, white and purple peavine, flax, sulfur flowers, wild geraniums, locoweed and scarlet gilia.
Rim Lake TH #1856 the Forest Service's write-up
Rim Lake Trail follows the Sweetwater Trail for 3.1 miles before climbing another 5.1 miles to Rim Lake and Trapper's Lake Trail. The Sweetwater Trail is quite gentle, then the Rim Lake Trail gets steeper as it gets closer to the Lake, which rests up out of the valley on the Flat Tops plateau.
Restrictions See Flat Tops Wilderness Regulations
Sweetwater TH #1854 the Forest Service's write-up
The Sweetwater trail begins at the Hilltop Trailhead near Sweetwater Lake and ends at Coffee Pot Road #600. This fairly level, easy-to-follow trail follows the north rim of Sweetwater Canyon, beginning as a slight uphill grade through scrub oak and sagebrush and entering aspen interspersed with grassy meadows at about 2 miles, followed by aspen and fir forest. This trail offers beautiful views of the snow-capped peaks of the Sawatch Range, Sweetwater Lake and Canyon, and the high cliffs of the Flat Tops.
Turret Creek TH #1832 the Forest Service's write-up
The Turret Creek trail begins at the Hilltop Trailhead near Sweetwater Lake and ends at Trapper's Lake Trail #1816. This trail provides good access to the Flat Tops Wilderness, with the 3220 foot elevation gain spread out over the entire course. The trail begins in a dry area with scrub oak, then follows Turret Creek, passing through stands of aspen and grassy meadows. The trail then enters lodgepole pine and passes through Turret Meadows at 4 1/2 miles, from here the trail steepens as it climbs the ridge of the White River Plateau.
Restrictions See Flat Tops Wilderness Regulations
Ute - Sweetwater #2032 the Forest Service's write-up
The Ute-Sweetwater Trail runs north from Sweetwater Lake to Big Springs along the eastern edge of W Mountain and the Flat Tops Wilderness. The trail climbs steeply out of Sweetwater Lake before entering forest for the remainder of the trip. Like may trails in this area of the Flat Tops, this trail offers access to numerous other trails and round trips of varying lengths are possible.