This local Buena Vista hike is popular for several good reasons: the trailhead is easily accessible via paved road, the elevation gain is fairly mellow, and the views are all-around spectacular. Once you hike high enough to emerge from the forest, you’ll pass a few smaller lakes on the way to the biggest one at the top. You’ll find pristine camp spots and excellent fishing, should you choose to lug your gear this far.

The 3-mile hike to Hartenstein Lake may not be long in mileage, but it’s not an easy one. A steep start gets the legs and lungs working right away, as sounds of the creek and swaying pines lend a peaceful vibe. The trail gets tougher toward the top, and the trees thin out for jaw-dropping views nearing the lake. Though this hike enters a wilderness area, it begins from a paved road, making access possible at any time of year.

Kroenke Lake is an alpine gem for a “choose-your-own-adventure” trip. Whether you pitch a tent and stay awhile, or hike through on your way to farther destinations, don’t miss the chance to drop your pack and soak in the beauty here. As a basecamp, the lake provides a variety of bonus hikes as well, including a high pass and an even higher peak.

Bear Lake lies beneath Mount Harvard and Mount Columbia––two of Colorado’s formidable fourteeners. The lake is a popular camp for climbers en route to the summits, but also makes a stunning hike all its own. From the North Cottonwood trailhead it’s a mellow stroll at first, but turns into rocky steps and crosses rushing streams. There might be deep mud or even snow in early season, but by summer it’s a dry and flower-lined jaunt into the alpine.

This alpine lake is beautifully backed by 14,421' Mount Massive, and a high plateau provides a vista midway through the hike. The initial ascent is a gentle incline through the woods. After breaking out of the trees atop the plateau, the trail crosses pretty meadows with expansive views that include the lake far below. Take a minute to drink it in before descending the rest of the way to the shore. Be sure to save some energy for regaining the hill on the way back!

You can find the Missouri Lakes and Fancy Lake on a 9-mile loop that offers incredible bang for your buck! This route has every ingredient for a classic Rocky Mountain experience: Streams and waterfalls, deep woods and high meadows, wildflowers and wildlife, genuine backcountry solitude, and some relics of the mining history. You could complete the whole thing in one day, but it’s best as an overnight trip camping beside one of the lakes.

The Waterdog Lakes lie in an absolutely gorgeous location: Almost exactly at treeline, and below a rocky mountain ridge that rings the valley. This is also among the more easily accessible alpine lakes because a paved road reaches the trailhead, and the hike is rather moderate. The ascent is mostly in the trees, but breaks into alpine meadows up high. A short, steep climb delivers a stunning vista at the first lake, and even better views await at the second and third.

Spruce Creek Road is the starting point for several gorgeous hikes near Breckenridge, and one of the best is Mohawk Lakes. These are waters of an alpine valley beneath craggy mountain slopes, surrounded by wildflower meadows above the treeline. It’s roughly 6.5 miles roundtrip, but the network of trails provides longer and shorter options. You can also see the smaller Mayflower Lakes, as well as bonus sights like a waterfall, ruins of a miner’s cabin, and perhaps some resident wildlife.