Nestled in a box canyon below Red Mountain and the Silver "Thornes" is a special spot that hides the Willow Lakes. These pristine alpine lakes at about 11,450 feet elevation are at the headwaters of the North Willow Creek.
Most people who hike to the lakes park at the Willowbrook TH in Silverthorne. At the first split in the trail take a right instead of the typical left to the Falls and you are on your way! Note that the parking fills up early especially on weekends so start your climb before 8am if possible and 7am on busy weekends.
The trail to the Willow Lakes is a continuous climb of about 2,500 vertical feet over 6.5 miles starting at 8,980 feet at the TH and ending at 11,453 feet at the last lake. This is not a challenging trail except for the round trip of about 13 miles and the 2,500 feet of vertical climb.
Along the way, you'll hike along the North Willow Creek at points and reach some nice overlooks where you can see Lake Dillon, Buffalo Mountain, Red Mountain, and the Thornes.
At about the 5 mile mark, you will have an option to take a detour to the Salmon Lake which is a destination all in itself - but the jewel remains the highest of the Willow Lakes.
If you're lucky enough to be able to do this hike during the week, you may not see anybody at the last lake and have an entire box canyon all to yourself!
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