Clinton Gulch Dam Reservoir

The Clinton Gulch Dam Reservoir is located in between Leadville and Frisco, just south of Copper Mountain. To drive there, it’s roughly 20 minutes north of Leadville and 15 minutes south of Frisco. I’d venture to say that many tourists don’t travel down this part of the road, but this road has several gorgeous hikes and is worth a visit if your goal is to hike.

This hike is roughly 3 miles RT, starting at a high elevation of approximately 11,100 feet. The hike itself is not hard, because it is relatively flat with some minor hills. Due to weather and snowpack from this region, I’d recommend hiking here July-late August in the morning to avoid afternoon thunderstorms.

We’ve been here twice to “hike.” The first time was actually passing by from Breckenridge to Leadville, and we stopped to see what was here. We did an impromptu walk (not even a hike, just a 20 minute walk) and knew we wanted to return with our hiking boots.
The second time is pictured below with the snow, in early May. It was too icy to hike, or at least we weren’t prepared for the whole hike - I bet this would be amazing for snowshoeing. Regardless, it is stunning in the snow! If you are driving past or want a beautiful short walk before it gets too slippery, I’d recommend stopping here.
The third time was in late June with my mom. It is an amazing hike along the waters edge for a few miles until you reach the bowl of the mountain.

All of these images were photographed with my film camera and Portra 400 film.