brainard lake recreation area

Blue skies. Crystal clear lake. Majestic peaks. This park offers it all.I explored a small portion of this park with my girlfriend in September of 2014. We were out leaf peeping along the Peak to Peak Highway and decided to check out this park.We were hoping to find a few aspens turning up there but didn't find too much. What we did find was a massive crowd. We were the last car to get entrance before the parking lot was full. We definitely were not alone. There was an entrance fee when we went in, so keep that in mind.We only had 30 minutes, so we walked around Brainard Lake. We skipped rocks on the lake, took a ton of pictures and looked for animal tracks. I did find a nice set of moose prints in some mud on the west side of the lake. There were families everywhere having picnics and anglers trying to make the perfect catch.I'm a Colorado native, so I've spent a lot of time in the High Country. I would recommend this park to everyone!

Drove up from Boukder to see this place we went from Fall to winter. We chose to hike to the left hand reservoir. Boy did we pick the right one. It was as if we were in Narnia. Walking this snow covered gravel rdfor 1.7 miles at a steep incline took us 2 hours. Now we stopped and took many photos . We were the only humans out there this day as the snow was pristine . Many tracks from local animals , although we didn't see any. The walk down took 45 minutes.

This review should really be listed under Brainard Lake Recreation Area but Trip Advisor has no such listing so I'm posting the attraction under Roosevelt National Forest, where Brainard is located. This is a small park but with numerous facilities and a breathtaking view. Brainard reopened on June 27, 2014 after an extensive multi-year renovation to its facilities, which included new and expanded parking and new bathrooms. While the area goes under the name of Brainard, it encompasses other lakes among which are Long Lake, Mitchell Lake and Red Rock Lakes. The activity of greatest interest year round is undoubtedly hiking the trails, with the trailheads at Long Lake and Mitchell Lake attracting the most interest. If you want a longer hike, you can start at the new parking lot just outside the entrance gate/fee station and walk the two miles to Brainard Lake and then up to Long and Mitchell Lake trails. In the off season, which is most of the year other than summer, you have no choice as to your starting place for hiking since the entrance gate is closed to vehicular traffic. Brainard Lake is fairly convenient to Boulder and other towns near Denver and attracts an overflow crowd fairly early in the morning, even on weekdays. The parking lots at both Long and Mitchell lakes are not large and will typically be filled by 9AM during the summer months. I was there at 8:30 on a Monday and found Long Lake lot full and Mitchell Lake three quarters full. As with most mountain activities, it is advisable to get an early start, not just because of the parking situation but because of the weather which can get stormy as the day goes on. In addition to the hiking trails, there is Brainard Lake itself which has a healthy population of trout which can be taken from shore or from a float tube or pontoon boat. Around the lake, there are a few scenic picnic areas to enjoy which have their own bathroom facilities. If you bring a small boat, you can unload it at a parking lot near the East end of the lake and then carry it to the water, although the "carry" is not particularly convenient. One of the annoying things done to Brainard during the renovation was to permanently seal off the access to the lake from the road that crosses the dam and passes the lake to the north past a picnic area before heading up to Long Lake. You used to be able to park close to the lake, cart your boat across the street and plunk it in the water with little effort.