Lake/Pond/Reservoir

Location: McKenzie Trail #804 to Crystal Lake

Elevation: 11600

Commonly Caught Species: Rainbow Trout, Cutthroat Trout

Restrictions: Must have Colorado Fishing License to fish.

Seasonal Accessibility: Late Spring/Summer/Fall

Access: HorseBack, Hike

Driving Directions: From the Town of Creede, Travel West on State Highway 149 for 3 miles. Turn right and travel northwest on Forest Road 507 (Miners Creek Road) for 1.5 miles. Take a left and travel west on Forest Road 508 for .25 miles until the road forks. Take the right hand fork up Sawmill Gulch to the trail which is a jeep road for quite a ways up. Hikers with vehicle’s should park on the right side of FSR# 508 after crossing the cattle guard.

Hiking Directions: The McKenzie trail is 7.0 miles long. It begins at Forest Road 508.1a and ends at Table Mtn. From the trailhead, the trail will junction within 200 yards. The Shallow Creek Road FSR#508 goes left, Sawmill Gulch Trail #804 takes off to the right and travels the ridge between Shallow Creek and the actual Sawmill Gulch, before turning back to the north and into the trees. Continue northwesterly through the alpine meadows and you will either cross the Crystal Lake 4-wheel-drive access road or be able to see Crystal Lake. If you find the 4WD access road, head north and in less than 0.5 mile you will be at Crystal Lake.

Forest Service Info:: https://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/riogrande/recreation/fishing/recarea/?recid=29090&actid=42

The main attraction of this trail is the access to Crystal Lake. Fishing at Crystal Lake and good scenery is available along this trail.  Camping areas are generally not available until reaching the McKenzie Park area, approximately 3.3 miles from the Miners Creek Road. 4WD vehicles can get to Crystal Lake via access from the Bristol Head Road #532. Domestic sheep can sometimes be seen grazing in McKenzie Park and the Crystal Lake area during the summer months. Intense lighting storms occur in this area during the summer rainy season.