Colorado

East Inlet Trail

in Colorado · centroid 53 mi from Denver

East Inlet Trail is hiking trail in Colorado. This page summarises what we have from public sources (OpenStreetMap and trail-association data); always verify current conditions and trail status with the maintaining organisation before heading out.

East Inlet Trail
Photo via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0).
States
Colorado
Network
Regional (rwn)
Centroid nearest city
Denver, CO · 53 mi · ~1.5 hr drive
Centroid coords
40.2329°, -105.7553°
OSM relation
6747535
From Wikipedia: The East Inlet Trail in Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado, was established in 1913 to provide access from Grand Lake to a series of lakes 6 miles (9.7 km) to the east of Grand Lake. The trail originates at the east stream inlet to Grand lake: confusingly, it is close to the west portal of the Alva B. Adams Tunnel which conveys water from the west side of the Continental Divide under the park to the east slope of the Rocky Mountains. The trail was developed further in the 1920s, but was still considered to be in poor condition. In the 1930s further improvements were made, and in 1934 workers from the Public Works Administration rebuilt the section between Lone Pine Lake and Lake Verna. In 1940 workers from the Civilian Conservation Corps improved three miles (4.8 km) of trail beyond Adam Falls, building causeway sections through swampy areas. The trail was rebuilt again in 1970, and was improved between 2000 and 2003 with stone steps and handrails at Adam Falls. Excerpt from the Wikipedia article on East Inlet Trail, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Plan your hike

Practical notes

Maps + permits: long-distance trails like this often require permits for through-hiking, backcountry camping, or specific sections (especially in National Parks). Check with the maintaining organisation listed above and the relevant land manager before booking travel.

Water + supplies: water sources vary seasonally on most U.S. trails. Carry a filter and consult current trail-condition reports — through-hiker journals (PCT-L, AT Reddit, etc.) and the maintaining organisation publish regular updates.

When to go: hiking seasons vary widely with elevation, latitude, and snowpack. Through-hikers traditionally start the AT in March-April (Springer northbound) and the PCT in late April (Campo northbound). High-elevation western trails (CDT, JMT, Wonderland) generally aren't passable until July.

If you've hiked East Inlet Trail and have current notes (water sources, trail closures, permit changes), tell us at /contact — we update pages as we learn.

Stay nearby

Affiliate · disclosed
Driving in? The nearest documented metro is Denver, CO — 53 miles away (~1.5 hr drive). See accommodation in Denver on Booking.com → RoamFound earns a small commission if you book through this link, at no extra cost to you. How we handle affiliate links.

Other trails within 50 miles

15 nearby

Colorado

Tonahutu Creek Trail

4 miles from this trail's centroid

Colorado

Glacier Gorge Trail

7 miles from this trail's centroid

Colorado

Flat Top Mountain Trail

7 miles from this trail's centroid

Colorado

Thunder Lake Trail

7 miles from this trail's centroid

Colorado

North Longs Peak Trail

8 miles from this trail's centroid

Colorado

Fern Lake Trail

9 miles from this trail's centroid

Sources

Public data + curation

Trail data on this page is compiled from OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL), the maintaining organisation's public-facing materials, and Wikipedia (CC BY-SA where excerpts are quoted). Distance, terminus, and descriptive text for nationally-designated trails are hand-curated from federal land-manager websites and trail-association sources. We do not modify the underlying data; this page presents what is already publicly recorded. To suggest corrections, see our methodology page.