Hiking The Iconic St. Mary’s Glacier Trail near Idaho Springs, CO
If you’re visiting Colorado, you can confidently assume you’ll be incorporating some time outdoors in your itinerary.
Denver is the central hub for many travelers as it’s the state’s largest metropolitan city. Fortunately, you can find nature in each and every direction right outside the borders of the capital.
Hikes, both short and long, vary in the surrounding area and offer plentiful opportunities to break away from the busy crowds and into peaceful solitude within nature.
Just 1 hour west of downtown, you’ll find the epic St. Mary’s Glacier hike. A stunning hike that takes you high into the mountains to a pristine lake and an actual glacier?! Well, sort of. We’ll explain later! Either way, this hike is not one to pass up.
What is St. Mary’s Glacier?
During our 8-day winter road trip through Colorado, we were immediately interested when we caught wind of St. Mary’s Glacier. Not only is the name enticing, but it’s a quick and easy drive from Denver.
On top of that, it’s a relatively short hike to the glacier for those looking to add an easy trail to their trip, even within a busy schedule.
So what’s the deal? What can you expect to see along this highly admired hike?
What’s interesting is that St. Mary’s Glacier isn’t technically a “glacier.” The trail name is dubbed after a semi-permanent snowfield that resides in Colorado’s Arapaho National Forest.
What’s the difference? Well mainly because there is no ice in motion, which is what defines a real glacier.
So even though this frozen snowpack isn’t actually a glacier, it’s still a wondrous sight to see along with the pristine Saint Mary’s Lake sitting just below.
A short trail paired with gorgeous scenery makes this hike a highly traversed route for many outdoor lovers.
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The trailhead to St. Mary’s Glacier is located in a small rural neighborhood, about 25 minutes from Idaho Springs off Interstate 70. The actual trailhead is located right off Fall River Rd.
Idaho Springs is your closet city to find overnight lodging, food, and shops. For more options, the large city of Denver is your next best option!
Parking is available in 2 parking lots both north and south of the trailhead, with the southern one being the larger one. Parking permits are $5/vehicle at a self-pay station. Portable restrooms are on site should you need to use them beforehand.
Trailhead Address: St Marys Dr, Idaho Springs, CO 80452 (just copy/paste into Google Maps)
HIKE DETAILS:
- 2-3 miles roundtrip (2 miles total if you just go to the lake and back)
- 800 ft elevation
- Easy – Moderate
- 1 -2 hours to complete
KEEP IN MIND: We hiked St. Mary’s Glacier in January during the dead of winter. The trail was completely snow-packed and St. Mary’s Lake was fully frozen over. (Which was awesome!) However, the overall appearance will be different than the images shown here should you visit during the warmer months. But fear not as both seasons look absolutely spectacular! We’d love to go back during the summer months just to experience a completely different side to this trail.
KNOW BEFORE YOU GO:
- Even though it’s a short hike, bring proper hiking shoes as the trail is rugged and steep in some parts
- Bring ample water to stay hydrated while hiking, especially during the warmer months
- If visiting during winter, purchase a pair of Crampons – these are small spikes or metal coils that attach to the bottom of your shoes providing traction on snow and ice. (TRUST US, crampons have helped us survive several snow and ice covered hikes!)
- Dress warm (in layers) for snow hikes by referencing our 12 Articles of Cold Weather Clothing
- For men, check out these Top 3 Packable Down Jackets to stay ultra-warm while hiking in frigid temperatures
Starting The Hike to St. Mary’s Glacier
From the immediate start of the trail, you’ll be hiking up a steady incline. A moderate ascent that will last basically the entirety of the trail until you reach the lake. A slight puffer but nothing too intense as long as you take breaks when needed.
The trail winds you up through a beautiful, thick forest of greenery on each side of the path. Stay left at your first and second junction to continue along the trail.
To be honest, this main section up doesn’t have too many standout features on its own (at least during the dead of winter). Despite this, the hike up is still very scenic and enjoyable as long as you don’t mind a little bit of a workout!
The trail is also fairly rocky and steep to where it may be a bit difficult to climb for little ones.
After heading left on the 2 previous junctions, continue to follow the windy trail up the mountain. You know you’re getting close when the ground becomes even rockier and the trees less dense.
Once the trail levels out, you’ll soon see the start of the lake on your left.
Reaching The Top of the Trail at St. Mary’s Glacier & Lake
It’s near impossible not to “WOW” out loud once you reach the top and see both St. Mary’s Glacier and the gorgeous St. Mary’s Lake. You can easily walk right up to the edge of the lake for a wonderful view of the mountains, glacier, and surrounding forests.
From the lake, you can see St. Mary’s Glacier up on the right side of the mountain. As we said before, not technically a glacier but a wide semi-permanent snowfield.
In the summer without snow, it’s clearly visible to see the snowfield in the hills. But during winter it’s a bit harder to make out since everything is basically covered in white snow.
We managed to locate where it was from seeing hikers climbing up the side of the glacier in the distance.
Also when visiting in winter, it’s likely that the lake will be completely frozen over. While we can’t recommend that you walk on the ice, it was surely thick enough to support human weight and much more.
Looking down, the frozen water is so clear that you can easily see all the deep crevices and joints further out onto the ice. A really impressive sight as it felt like we were walking on glass.
Walking along the frozen lake was a fun addition to this already super cool hike.
IMPORTANT NOTE: Again, we can’t advocate walking or playing on the ice, but you should know these 8 Safety Tips for Playing on Frozen Lakes. Walking on ice is at your own risk and you should know all the signs and procedures accompanying such.
During the summer, this lakeside spot would be a PERFECT place for a picnic. A breathtaking environment that’s easy to hike to and bring proper picnic food and supplies!
CONSIDER HIKING ON TO THE GLACIER
Many choose to turn back once they’ve reached St. Mary’s Lake. Although if you want to hike further, you can find a few smaller trails just past the lake to the right that take you up to St. Mary’s Glacier. The main one being the closest trail off the right side of the lake.
We saw many people bring their snowboards and sleds up to the top of the glacier. It’s a steep, slippery trek up but the ride back down looks well worth the effort.
The snow can be fairly deep and hard to hike through once you’re past the lake due to much less foot traffic and no further trail maintenance. However, we still walked up and past the lake along some of the smaller trails to catch a closer view of the snowfield.
Once you’re done exploring the area, head back down the way you came to return to the parking lot.
Enjoy The Quick Hike to St. Mary’s Glacier Just an Hour Outside Denver
We can’t say it enough, this short, little hike has to be on your list of things to do next time you’re in or around Denver. Not only do you get to experience incredible lake views along with Colorado’s dense forests, but you’ll also see the unique phenomenon that is St. Mary’s Glacier.
For a small workout up the mountain, the picturesque landscape at the top is well worth the climb. Either relax lakeside and enjoy a picnic or make the extra climb up the actual glacier for a stunning view of the valley and lake below.
No matter how you enjoy it, this trail is a wonderful getaway for both Colorado locals and wandering travelers alike.
For more epic hikes outside Denver, check out Roxborough State Park just 45 minutes south of the big city! If you’re wanting more incredible winter trails, see these 5 Must See Colorado Parks During Winter. These are some of our favorite winter wonderlands that we explored during our road trip through the state.
Have you hiked to St. Mary’s Glacier before? If not, what other favorite hikes have you experienced in Colorado? Share with us any questions or stories in the comments below!
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