Browns Lake Trail

Location

Poudre Canyon. Drive 26.5 miles from Ted’s Place to the Pingree Park Road (at mm 96.1), cross the Cache La Poudre River, and proceed 4.3 miles to the Crown Point Road (FDR-139). Turn right and drive 12.3 miles on the Crown Point Road to the Browns Lake Trail sign on the left side of road. The trailhead is approximately three miles past “Black Hollow.” No facilities available. No water available. Adequate parking for stock trailers.

Description

The Browns Lake Trail heads south from the Crown Point parking lot following an old jeep road to a ridge just west of, and below, Crown Point. This is the high point of the trail and from here you will enter the Comanche Peak Wilderness and the Browns Lake Travel Zone. The view from this location is panoramic: the Medicine Bow Range to the west, the Snowy Range in Wyoming to the north, and the Mummy Range to the south and southeast. As you continue, the trail will parallel Crown Point and drop into a tundra valley. There is another climb over a ridge before the trail starts its descent to Browns Lake. Shortly after reaching timberline, the Browns Lake Trail intersects the Old Flowers Trail coming in from the east.

There is plenty of good grazing for horses west and east along the Flowers Trail. You will notice the remnants of an old sheepherder’s cabin, and a spring to the right of the trail. The spring at the old cabin is the first reliable source of water after leaving the trailhead. From this junction there is a designated campsite west and downhill from the old cabin, and another is located east and above the old Flowers Trail. From here, as you descend into the cirque where Browns and Timberline lakes are located, you will pass five other designated campsites. Cross the stream, that flows between the two lakes. The trail will skirt the south side of Timberline Lake before heading downhill toward the Beaver Creek Trail. There are four more campsites to the southeast of Browns Lake.

The trail continues another 1.5 miles downhill to the junction with the Beaver Creek Trail. Much of this part of the trail passes through a recovering burn area that is quite scenic. This portion of the trail offers great views of Comanche Peak and Comanche Reservoir.