At a Glance
Difficulty
Easy
Distance (one-way)
0.1 miles
Elevation
8,367 ft
Elevation Gain
N/A
Trailhead
Shadow Mountain Lake access (road-accessible)
Park Area
Kawuneeche Valley (West)
Side of Divide
West
Coordinates
40.2265°N, 105.8438°W
Kawuneeche Valley (West)

Shadow Mountain Lake

Reservoir at SW park boundary

Shadow Mountain Lake, Kawuneeche Valley (West), Rocky Mountain National Park — 8367 ft elevation

About Shadow Mountain Lake

Shadow Mountain Lake is a west-side reservoir at 8,367 feet near Grand Lake. NPS information on the East Shore Trail notes that the reservoir was built in the 1940s as part of the Colorado-Big Thompson Project.

Because it connects visually and hydrologically with Grand Lake, Shadow Mountain Lake feels broad and developed compared with most lakes in this guide. It is still part of the park-edge lake story, but its character is reservoir shoreline rather than alpine basin.

NPS park materials identify the west side around Grand Lake and Kawuneeche as part of the Colorado River side of the park, a broader valley landscape than the tight east-side cirques.

Route Map

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