Wild Basin Trail + Thunder Lake Trail loop
Rocky Mountain National Park · 3.22 mi loop · about 1 hr 25 min
This trail is a loop, so the distance below is already a round trip.
- Highest
- 9,480 ft
- Lowest
- 8,888 ft
- Route type
- Loop
- Surface
- Not mapped
- Offline
Overview
Wild Basin Trail + Thunder Lake Trail loop is mapped as a loop of 3.22 mi in Rocky Mountain National Park.
It runs between 8,888 ft and 9,480 ft above sea level, a difference of 592 ft.
Estimates
- Computed effort band: moderate (from length and climb; not an official difficulty).
- Estimated time 1 hr 25 min one way by Naismith's rule, which assumes steady walking and adds time for climbing. Real time varies.
Before you rely on this
- No water source is mapped for this trail. That may only mean nobody has mapped one, so carry your own water.
- Check the land manager for closures, seasonal rules and permits before you go; none of that is verified here.
Elevation
Hover, tap, or use the arrow keys on the chart to read a point; it is shown on the map too.
Steep sections (6)
- 341 ft to 0.22 mi: about 14.8% uphill (from the elevation model, so rough)
- 1.00 mi to 1.06 mi: about 13.3% uphill (from the elevation model, so rough)
- 1.09 mi to 1.15 mi: about 14% uphill (from the elevation model, so rough)
- 2.08 mi to 2.17 mi: about 18% downhill (from the elevation model, so rough)
- 2.95 mi to 3.04 mi: about 15.5% downhill (from the elevation model, so rough)
- 3.10 mi to 3.15 mi: about 14.9% downhill (from the elevation model, so rough)
Before you go
- Parking
- No parking is mapped near the start. not verified
- Trailhead and directions
- Start at 40.20024, -105.58813. Directions to the start ↗
- Permits and fees
- We have no verified permit or fee details. Official pages: Rocky Mountain National Park ↗, Rocky Mountain Wilderness ↗, Boulder County ↗ (we have not recorded when these were last checked). Rocky Mountain National Park: fees and passes ↗ (checked 2026-10-17) Rocky Mountain National Park: timed entry permits ↗ (checked 2026-10-17) not verified
- Dogs
- No dog rule is tagged. not verified
- Water
- No water is mapped. Carry your own. not verified
- Toilets and facilities
- None mapped. not verified
- Accessibility, bikes and horses
- No access details are tagged. not verified
- Seasonal rules, closures and hazards
- Not verified here. Check the land manager (Rocky Mountain National Park ↗), Rocky Mountain National Park: current conditions ↗ (checked 2026-10-17) and read the hiker condition reports below. No report does not mean the trail is open or safe. not verified
Weather at the trailhead
Today: sunrise 7:15 AM, sunset 6:18 PM (computed from the trailhead location).
Forecast for the trailhead area from the U.S. National Weather Service, updated Oct 18, 12:46 AM. Mountain weather changes fast and can differ a lot by elevation: check the official forecast for your route before you go.
Recent conditions
Reports come from Arête members, not from land managers. They show when something was seen, not whether it is still true. Check official sources before you go.
No condition reports in the last 30 days. Conditions are unknown, not necessarily good.
Reviews
No reviews yet, so there is no rating to show. We never invent ratings. Sign in to be the first to review this trail.
Photos and places from hikers
Added by community members and checked by our team before they appear. Photos have their location data removed. These are not official information.
No approved photos or places yet.
Along the way
Trailhead and facilities
- Camp site0 ft from startPine Ridge OSM ↗
- Camp site1.94 mi from startFee mappedNorth St. Vrain Campsite #2 OSM ↗
Parking and toilets shown are within about 0.25 mi of the trail start.
Points come from OpenStreetMap contributors and can be missing, moved or out of date. How we label data.
Nearby trails
- Thunder Lake Trail4.46 mi · 1,767 ft gain · 0.0 mi away
- Wild Basin Trail + Finch Lake - Pear Lake Trail + Allenspark Trail out and back6.63 mi · 1,424 ft gain · 0.0 mi away
- Wild Basin Trail + Ouzel Lake Trail out and back7.02 mi · 1,268 ft gain · 0.0 mi away
- Ouzel Lake Trail1.91 mi · 600 ft gain · 0.8 mi away
Arête-built route from mapped trails
Assembled by Arête from mapped trail segments. Not an official or recommended route.
- Wild Basin Trail · 266 ft (part of the mapped trail)
- Wild Basin Trail · 76 ft
- Wild Basin Trail · 0.34 mi
- Wild Basin Trail · 88 ft
- Wild Basin Trail · 0.80 mi
- Wild Basin Trail · 39 ft
- Wild Basin Trail · 0.36 mi (part of the mapped trail) · walked back
- Wild Basin Trail · 0.34 mi (part of the mapped trail) · walked back
- Thunder Lake Trail · 1.27 mi · walked back
Starts at a derived trailhead (1 mapped trail start within 150 m), no mapped parking within 400 m; the route starts at the nearest mapped trail junction, 0 m from that point. Built by Arête from the graph of mapped trail segments (OpenStreetMap). Segments join where their ends are within 12 m of each other or one ends on another's line (a T-junction). A loop returns to its start without repeating a trail section; an out-and-back goes to a mapped trail end and returns the same way, so its length counts both directions. Names come only from the mapped trails it uses. Length is measured on the joined line; elevation is computed from USGS 3DEP. Not an official or recommended route.
Data, sources and how the numbers are made
| Length | 3.22 micomputed |
|---|---|
| Route type | Loopcomputed |
| Surface | Unknownunknown |
| Difficulty | Unknownunknown |
| Elevation gain (as drawn) | 664 ftcomputed |
| Elevation loss (as drawn) | 661 ftcomputed |
| Estimated duration | about 1 hr 25 min one way as drawn (Naismith's rule)computed |
| Official verification | Not verified by an official sourceunknown |
Length is measured from the route geometry in the source data, so it can differ from signed or official distances. Gain and loss describe the direction the line is drawn; the route view above shows the other direction and out and back. Elevation is computed from USGS 3DEP 1/3 arc-second DEM (public domain), sampled about every 10 m and smoothed.
© OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL). Route assembled by Arête from mapped trail segments.. Arête-built routes from mapped trails. Licence: ODbL 1.0 (derived from OpenStreetMap).
Frequently asked questions
How long is Wild Basin Trail + Thunder Lake Trail loop?
Wild Basin Trail + Thunder Lake Trail loop in Rocky Mountain National Park is 3.22 mi long, measured from its route geometry in OpenStreetMap data. Signed or official distances can differ.
How much elevation does Wild Basin Trail + Thunder Lake Trail loop gain?
Walking from the start to the end as drawn, it climbs about 664 ft and descends about 661 ft, between 8,888 ft and 9,480 ft. These are computed from the USGS 3DEP elevation model and can differ from other apps; the other direction swaps climbing and descending.
How hard is Wild Basin Trail + Thunder Lake Trail loop?
Difficulty is unknown: no source we use rates this trail, and we don't guess. Use the length and elevation gain to judge it for yourself.
How long does Wild Basin Trail + Thunder Lake Trail loop take?
About 1 hr 25 min one way for a fit hiker, by Naismith's rule from the length and climb. It is an estimate: allow more for rest, photos, heat, altitude and weather.
Where does Wild Basin Trail + Thunder Lake Trail loop start?
The route starts near 40.2002, -105.5881 (Rocky Mountain National Park, Rocky Mountain Wilderness, Boulder County). Use the Directions button to open it in your maps app.
Are dogs allowed on Wild Basin Trail + Thunder Lake Trail loop?
Not tagged in OpenStreetMap, so it is unknown. Check posted signs and the land manager's website.
Is there water, parking or a toilet at Wild Basin Trail + Thunder Lake Trail loop?
Mapped in OpenStreetMap near this trail: 0 water points, 0 parking areas, 0 toilets. Mapped water is not tested or guaranteed: carry your own. Fees and permits are not included here; check the official page.
Trail data can be wrong or out of date, and Arête is not an emergency service. Check official sources, weather and closures before you go.