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Bill Moore Lake Rating Trail Photos  Return to Trail List   
Clear Creek, CO
Delorme CO Atlas & Gazeteer pg: 39, 5-B
Nearby Trails: Coming Soon.


Access: Exit I-70 onto US 40 at exit 232 and proceed west into Empire. At the center of town turn right onto Park Ave. This is the only paved road going north out of town and is just past the Hard Rock Cafe. There are many road junctions from this point so it will help if you have a topographic map of the area. Drive north on the road along N. Empire Creek, that is FDR 171.1. Continue on this road to the top of the ridge and follow it to the north. Continue along the east side of the ridge on FDR 171.2. Turn left at each of the three closely spaced junctions. Turn left (west) onto FDR 183 across a non-forested area, approximately 1.3 miles to where the road decends the northeast-facing slope of Breckinridge Peak to Bill Moore Lake. No motorized vehicles are allowed past this point. From Bill Moore Lake you can see the Continental Divide and hike to two lakes between Bill Moore Lake and the Divide. (!!!Please stay clear of any muddy areas. Failure to do so may cause the Forest Service to close the trail to motor vehicles!!!).




Trail: Bill Moore Lake is one of the most beautiful trails I've driven in Colorado thus far. The trail starts in Empire Colorado as North Empire road. As you continue up this trail, it turns into a gravel road as you pass abandoned mining buildings. The early section of the road is very easy and offers nice views down to the valley below. Once when you reach the Conqueror Mines at 1.75 miles, the trail vears back sharply to the left. From here, the trail gets a little more difficult and there are a number of spurs that offer some difficult climbs. You'll run into signs that point you to Bill Moore Lake (FR 183.1) and Miller Creek. As you continue up the road to Bill Moore Lake the road gets steep in sections and the loose rocks may cause trouble for open differentials. This is the most difficult section and a few of the sections have optional bypasses. Once you get past this section you'll reach a beautiful summit with a great 360? view. From here, the trail essentially drops down to the lake. The descent is also a little loose and there were a few muddy sections (!!!Please stay clear of any muddy areas. Failure to do so may cause the Forest Service to close the trail to motor vehicles!!!). You'll reach the end of the trail about 50 yards from the lake. The end was so relaxing and the scenery was spectacular. I enjoyed the lake for a while and let the dogs enjoy the crisp water. Even in mid-June it was quite cold at 11,346ft. This trail is a great for the entire family. Stock vehicles may have a little trouble. Definitely pack a lunch and enjoy!


G.P.S. Coordinate List:
No Extended G.P.S. data for this trail is available.