Rocky Mountain National Park: Colorado River Trail to Lulu City Site (Blog Hike #818)

Trail: Colorado River Trail
Hike Location: Rocky Mountain National Park
Geographic Location: north of Grand Lake, CO (40.40166, -105.84798)
Length: 7.5 miles
Difficulty: 6/10 (Moderate)
Date Hiked: July 2020
Overview: A long, gradual climb featuring historical silver mining sites.
Park Information: https://www.nps.gov/romo/index.htm
Hike Route Map: https://www.mappedometer.com/?maproute=824632
Photo Highlight:

Hike Video: 

Directions to the trailhead: This hike starts at the Colorado River Trailhead, which is located on the west side of US 34 12 miles north of Grand Lake.  If the Colorado River Trailhead parking lot is full, you could park at the lesser-used Timber Lake Trailhead directly across the road.

The hike: For my general comments on Rocky Mountain National Park (known as "Rocky" for short), see my hike in the park's Wild Basin area.  This hike, the longest and last of my 5 hikes in Rocky, takes you up along the Colorado River to the site of Lulu City, an old silver mining town.  Truth be told, my original plan was to hike only to Shipler Cabins, another silver mine relic located about 2 miles up this trail.  Yet when I arrived at Shipler Cabins, the hiking was so good and sufficiently easy that I just kept going until I reached Lulu City.  I was pleased with my decision when I finished, and I had a good hike here.

Colorado River Trailhead

            From an information kiosk at the rear of the parking area, the wide dirt trail heads north with the Colorado River through the trees on the left and Trail Ridge Road uphill to the right.  After a few hundred feet, the trail goes up and over a steep ridge that looks like a small glacial moraine.  The flora here features a medium number of pine trees that let in plenty of sun to the dense grassy understory.

Hiking across a meadow

            After crossing a dry creek on a footlog, the signed Red Mountain Trail exits left just shy of 0.5 miles.  Continue straight to remain on the Colorado River Trail.  The trail heads across a sunny meadow before the valley tightens and forces the trail down to the bank of the Colorado River.  The next few hundred feet is the only part of this hike that treads right beside the river, so enjoy the riparian scenery while it lasts.

Hiking along the Colorado River

            Next the trail cuts across a steep hill as it climbs gradually to enter a rocky area.  The treadway remains relatively unencumbered with rocks, and the going remains fairly easy.  Some views west across the Colorado River valley open up to the left.

Hiking through a rocky area

            Soon the valley widens again, and near 2 miles into the hike you reach what remains of the Shipler Cabins.  Joe Shipler built these cabins in the late 1800's while trying to establish a silver mining operation, but like the one at Lulu City his silver mine proved unprofitable.  Today nature is reclaiming these cabins, and soon only foundations will remain.

A Shipler Cabin

            Past the cabins, the pines become more dense as the trail crosses a couple of creeks on nice wooden footbridges.  At 2.8 miles, the trail curves right to head up the gradient of the gradual hillside before curving left at the highest point of this hike.  A few short but steep ups and downs come next, and a couple of wet areas will need to be negotiated at the bottoms of these dips.

Spur trail to Lulu City exits left

            At 3.5 miles, you reach the signed spur trail that leads to the Lulu City site.  The main Colorado River Trail keeps heading uphill toward Little Yellowstone, but this hike angles left to begin the spur trail.  A moderate to steep descent via a couple of switchbacks brings you to the Lulu City site.  The city only lasted from 1879 through 1884, but at its peak 200 people lived here and made their living mining silver.  You will have to look hard to find any remnants of the city, and perhaps the site's best amenity today is the flat rocky area along the Colorado River.  Take some time to explore the site, enjoy the river, and see what relics you can find.

Lulu City site

Colorado River at Lulu City

            If you have more time and energy, the Colorado River Trail continues past the north end of the Lulu City site.  Just under another mile of hiking will bring you to Little Yellowstone, a crumbling rock canyon that resembles those found at Yellowstone National Park.  Continuing another 2.5 miles past Little Yellowstone brings you to La Poudre Pass, the Colorado River's headwaters and Rocky's north boundary.  I had already hiked further than I had planned, so I turned around at Lulu City and retraced my steps to the trailhead to complete the hike.