Heart Lake to Adams Lake Loop, Flat Tops Wilderness Area

EPIC ride that you access from I-70 at the Dotsero exit. It's a 4.5-hour drive from Denver to the trailhead. Once you get off of i70, It's a solid 2 hours on a dirt road to get to Heart Lake, our meetup location.

Route from Denver to Heart Lake - https://maps.app.goo.gl/vgtziCF4YwL8kQBLA

Our loop is just north of Glenwood Springs, but you want to access Heart Lake from the i70 Dotsero exit, NOT the exit near Glenwood. The wrong road is called the Transfer Trail. It's for serious off-road vehicles. Just make sure you follow the above link, and DON'T just put Heart Lake into Google Maps.

We will park and start our ride near Heart Lake. It's a jeep trail loop that stops at Adams Lake (halfway) and then returns to Heart Lake. The below map says our ride is 19 miles~ and has 1500 feet of elevation gain. I have driven the East side of the Loop in my stock Land Cruiser as an out-and-back from Heart to Adams but have not done the West side of the loop.

Loop map - https://maps.app.goo.gl/j5BVhWNjEeF3DAqD6

The route and terrain are beautiful. High plateau (10k feet), open prairie, and meadow. There is not a lot of rugged up and down by Colorado standards, but there are short sections that are steep and rocky. Bring rain gear since this is a high-altitude ride.

The short road to Adams Lake is steep and challenging, especially on an analog bike. If you pride yourself on your climbing ability, join us and show us what you got. If some wish to skip the Adam's Lake option, you can continue on the loop back to Heart or wait for us to come back down from Adams.

Let's meet where the 601 and 142 intersect, just South of Heart Lake. Click here to see the meetup location: https://maps.app.goo.gl/x99ytp3vvE9kfYBH8

If you have a trailer, you may want to park closer to Heart Lake than at our meetup point. BTW - The two-hour drive into Heart Lake will be slow-going with a trailer or RV.

It's dispersed camping around Heart Lake (no reservations) if you want to spend the night. I will likely car camp myself the night of the ride and drive back to Denver the next day.

If you are an avid four-wheeler and want to join us as our support and gear vehicle, we would love to have you.