Summit Lake Park
Summit Lake Park is the highest city park in the United States and the only Denver Mountain Park in the alpine zone. The lake nestles at the bottom of a high alpine cirque about 1500 feet below the summit of Mount Blue Sky. It is accessible only from late spring until early autumn along the Mount Blue Sky Road that begins at Echo Lake Lodge. The surrounding land is part of the Mount Blue Sky Wilderness. Notably Summit Lake Park is one of the best places in Colorado to see mountain goats and it is the headwaters of the Bear Creek drainage.
Fun Things to Do
Hiking: Several trails begin at the Summit Lake parking area, including a .25 mile walk to the Chicago Lakes Overlook. There is also a hiking trail that follows the Chicago lakes Basin, located primarily in Arapahoe National Forest, that connects Summit Lake to Echo Lake.
Highlights:
- At 13,000 feet, the highest city park in the Unuted States and the only Denver Mountain Park in the alpine zone
- Alpine lake and tundra wildflowers
- Best place to see mountain goats
- Headwaters of Bear Creek
- Nearby Dos Chappell Nature Center at Goliath Peak
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