Mud Lake Open Space

Boulder County Parks & Open Space runs Mud Lake, 231 acres between 8,250 and 8,600 feet. The county lists five easy trails from 0.7 to 1.3 miles (Caribou Ranch Link, Kinnickinnick Loop, Tungsten Loop, Chickadee Trail and Sherwood Forest Trail), a restroom near the trailhead, picnic tables and a 50-person group shelter that can be reserved.

The rules: day use only, pets on leash, bikes on designated trails only, ice skating allowed, and no swimming, open fires, hunting or camping. Fishing is allowed, but the county notes the lake is not stocked. The Wild Bear Center for Nature Discovery, a nonprofit, owns a 5-acre parcel at the site that it uses for daytime education programs.

The street address is from the Town of Nederland’s Trails & Open Spaces page (https://nederlandco.org/1446/Trails-Open-Spaces), which also lists Mud Lake. The hours are the county’s general rule that its parks are open sunrise to sunset.