Homer Rouse Trail

Named for a former superintendent of Rocky Mountain National Park, this Larimer County trail outside park boundaries commemorates Rouse’s significant volunteer service to the Estes Park community outside of his national park duties. This route begins at the parking lot across CO 7 from Lily Lake and proceeds down an unpaved road about 400 yards to historic Baldpate Inn. On the National Register of Historic Places, this privately owned lodge dates from 1917 and recalls a less-hurried era of park visitation. Its unique key collection and display of old photos supplement the interest inherent in the log building itself. The route continues past the inn and its parking area.

Some Baldpate photos show views of the inn’s vicinity taken from the old road that climbed from the valley of Fish Creek to Lily Lake. Long abandoned by vehicles after the blasting of CO 7 through spectacular cuts on Lily Mountain, this old road is now the Homer Rouse Trail. Trees have grown to block most of the views displayed in the historic photos. Nonetheless, you still can see spectacular scenery, especially The Crags on the north side of Twin Sisters. The road grade is reasonably gentle on the knees of those headed downhill and on the lungs of those climbing up from Fish Creek. A detour path through the woods near the bottom takes hikers away from the old road to avoid private homes.

To drive to the lower end of the Homer Rouse Trail, turn left from CO 7 at a curve a bit less than 0.5 mile south of Marys Lake Road. This turn onto Fish Creek Way is hard to see. After 0.3 mile continue straight on an unpaved road at the bottom of the hill where Fish Creek bends left. Drive another 0.6 mile to where the road turns sharply left. The road straight ahead is the bottom of the Homer Rouse Trail. Lily Lake is less than 2 miles ahead and less than 700 feet above.

I usually want to hike a bit farther; the ranch land south of Fish Creek is very pretty, and I am a bit unsure about where to park and where the trail actually begins. Therefore I often park somewhere along the shoulder of the paved road and walk the scenic 0.5 mile to the trailhead. Intermittent streams that flow across the Homer Rouse Trail can create fall-inducing patches of ice in winter. Because the entire trail is outside the national park, canine companions can accompany human hikers; it is best to keep the dogs leashed.