Lower Gold Creek Basin

Hiking through a wide, level valley in the shadow of looming Kendall Peak to the north and Rampart Ridge to the east would be an ideal outing, if only so many people didn’t know about it. Fortunately, a few miles up the trail, the crowds thin—or at least spread out—and snowshoers can get on with the business of learning to travel in a beautiful wilderness valley. That’s right, just a few miles after leaving the buzzing I-90 corridor, the Alpine Lakes Wilderness unfolds. By mid-December, the snow is usually deep enough for the outing to be enjoyable, making this a great destination for families who gave each other snowshoes for Christmas.