Anglemeyer Lake

No trail to lake, extremely steep last section up a boulder field. Not recommended with large backpacks, or non nimble hikers. Without a gps you may miss it. Very steep trail before going off trail to get to lake.

I first backpacked into Lake Anglemeyer in late July 1972. At 11,280' it was spectacular. The lake sits in a small cirque fed only by melting snow above; still present in late summer. Swimming is all but impossible due to the frigid temperature of the water. You can dive in off a large rock on the south shore, but will almost immediately start cramping, and have to dog paddle to shore. The fish must be stocked, but they were small and had a nasty flavor. You can see many of the 14'ers of the Collegiate range from there, and at night you can see the lights of Buena Vista far below. Off the trail, one must scurry up the side of the hill to get there, but it's worth it. We used to spend days there with only the sounds of passersby going on up to Bear Lake or on their ascent to Mt. Harvard. Lake Anglemeyer is by far my favorite of remote backpacking sites.

Wonderfully beautiful lake. Good fishing when they decide to bite. Takes some bushwhacking to get to the lake but there are at least two great campsites that can make for a memorable backpacking experience.