One of the most rewarding hikes in Breckenridge is that to Mowhawk Lake. Whilst you do not have the reward of a mountain summit and huge sweeping vistas, the succession of beautiful pristine mountain lakes is well worth the effort.
You have the choice to start at the lower trailhead and enjoy walking the first few miles through the pine and fir forest, or you can do what we did and drive further up Spruce Creek to the secondary trailhead. Our reasoning was that we wanted to make the most of the lake portion of the hike and walk as far up the valley as possible.
After a moderate walk through the forest where the trail features more roots and dirt than rock, you will reach a spur off to Mayflower lake. Make sure to take the short detour as you will no doubt feel less inclined on the way home!
From Mayflower Lake the hike ramps up and the trail becomes more rugged with some scrambling required. It is not unusual to see mountain goats and be sure to listen for the high pitched squeaks of the pika. As you crest the first escarpment, you are greeted by Lower Mowhawk Lake. The second of what are 7 in total!
Skirt the lake to the left and continue up the second steep escarpment to reach the deeper and pocketed Mowhawk Lake. The lake appears as you crest the lake's lip and in front of you is invariably a smooth glazed surface. Many stop hear without venturing further and here comes the reason we drove a little further up the jeep road. There are another 4 lakes to savor and we encourage you to do so. Nicely spaced and cached behind hillocks and ridges to make the anticipation all the more enjoyable.
So if you don't have the time to scale a 14'ner, this is one of Summit County's wonderful walks and best enjoyed on a quiet weekday if you can work the schedule!
Distance - 6 miles
Time - 4 hours
Elevation gain - 1750 ft