Hiking to the Reservoirs in Palmer Lake, CO

Howdy everyone!!! I hope y’all had a good weekend…I had a fun and oh-so-exciting weekend of working!! I can tell you that four 12’s in a row will quickly wear you out and quite possibly make you hate your life just a little bit.  Lucky for me I was super active this past week, so I had memories of several hiking trails to sustain me through my workdays!!

One of the trails I hiked with my little family this past week was in Palmer Lake, CO…which is on the northwest outskirts of Colorado Springs.  This is such a beautiful area to go hiking in!!! I love the diversity of evergreens…and when is a hike with two lakes not appreciated?? The best part is that the first reservoir is located just 0.6 miles from the trailhead, so you have a pretty quick pay-off for your up-hill efforts!

This was my second go-round with these Reservoirs. The first time we got rained out, but this last time was a beautiful sunny day! Unfortunately there have been a lot of wildfires this year in Colorado, which have given the area really poor air quality lately. Because of this we’ve only been able to hike on days where the smoke clears up a bit.  I hate to see so much of this beautiful state destroyed, and hate even more to hear about all the loss people are suffering because of it.  Thankfully there has been quite a bit of rain lately, and more forecasted for this week…good for wildfires, bad for my hiking agenda.

Anywho, enough of my musings on the wildfires. Just a side note, fishing is allowed in these reservoirs as well 🙂 Now without any further ado, here are all the specs for this awesome hike!

Directions: (From Monument) Take HWY-105 toward Palmer Lake. Turn left on S. Valley Rd. Take a left on Old Carriage Rd. This will go down a hill at the bottom of which is parking and the above trailhead.

Restrooms: No

Distance: About 1.4 miles to the Upper Reservoir, 0.6 miles to the Lower Reservoir

Difficulty: Moderate, most of the trail is uphill

Pets OK? No

Crowds: Weekdays – Moderate, Weekends – Heavy

Fees/Permits: None

Tips:

• Bring lots to drink, a hat & your shades!! Most of this hike is exposed to the sun!
• Be prepared for a mostly uphill trek
• No restrooms, so make sure you go before you come!!
• Pack snacks to enjoy once you reach the Upper Reservoir!
• This trail seems to always have people around, but the weekend is by far the busiest! The one time we came on a weekend we had to leave without stopping because there was no parking! If you want to have less crowds and parking spots come on the weekdays!

Start of the trail

We loved the mix of Evergreens in this area – so beautiful!!

Pics of the first Reservoir..even though it’s a steep hike you are quickly rewarded for your efforts!

On the trail again…

The trail climbs again toward the Upper Reservoir, but it did not seem as steep as the first ascent.

Upper Reservoir

We took our daughter out of her carrier and enjoyed sitting on the side of the lake for awhile!! Definitely wished we brought snacks for a little picnic!

It was pretty cool when the geese we had been watching float across the lake decided to come ashore right where we were sitting!

Who could ask for a more beautiful way to spend an afternoon??

I really enjoy hiking this trail! It is such a beautiful area and it’s so close to where I live! I definitely recommend it if you are looking for a hike near Colorado Springs. You won’t regret it!!

Don’t forget to leave me a comment and let me know what you guys think!!

Until next time!!