Chicago Lakes - 4 Things to Know Before Visiting

Summit Lake Park is a park located along Mount Evans Scenic Byway about 64 miles west of Denver, Colorado. The park is 160 acres in size and contains alpine tundra. Land to the east of the lake is in a state of permafrost which helps to prevent drainage of the area. During the summer, the park is filled with wildflowers, some of which have not been found anywhere else outside of the Arctic Circle. The park is named after Summit Lake, the headwaters of Bear Creek.

Gray Wolf Mountain is a high thirteener in northern end of the Mount Evans Wilderness. Gray Wolf Mountain is connected to the more popular Mount Spalding by a high and gentle expanse of rolling tundra. In spite of this demure southern appearance Gray Wolf has been deeply gauged by glaciation and the cliffs rising above the Chicago Lakes and Hells Hole are quite spectacular. The Hells Hole escarpment in particular is rugged and handsome. In spite of these cliffs many routes exist that skirt them.

Mount Spalding is a mountain in the Front Range in United States. Its southwest side connects to the Sawtooth Ridge between Evans and Bierstadt also. It sits across Summit Lake from Evans and is a popular 13er to climb that can easily be done in an hour or so from Summit Lake. It's more fun to climb Evans and do the 2nd class scramble over to Spalding though. Grays and Torreys are also easily seen from Spalding.

Lincoln Lake is a 98 acre lake located in Washburn County. It has a maximum depth of 27 feet. Visitors have access to the lake from a public boat landing. It makes a great spot for a hike. The trails are well marked. With the lake as a backdrop and beautiful rock outcroppings and so more.

Mount Evans is the highest peak in the Mount Evans Wilderness in the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains of North America. The peak is one of the characteristic Front Range peaks, dominating the western skyline of the Great Plains along with Pikes Peak, Longs Peak, and nearby Mount Bierstadt. Mount Evans can be seen from over 100 miles to the east, and many miles in other directions.