Trappers Lake is a beautiful, serene secret located about 75 miles southwest of Steamboat. At 9,600 feet, the 300-acre lake is surrounded by volcanic cliffs and sits in the Cradle of Wilderness. In 1919, the 235,000-acres of Flat Tops were surveyed for development but ultimately protected under their designation as the Flat Tops Primitive Area. The Wilderness Act of 1964, which defined places of ecological and scenic value, included the Flat Tops in 1975. The Wilderness Act limits humans’ impact and allows nature to be preserved in its undisturbed state.

In 2002, lightening sparked the Flat Tops’ Big Fish Fire; it consumed 17,000 acres and destroyed Trappers Lake Lodge. The Lodge was rebuilt and currently maintains six wilderness camps, 15 cabins, and a restaurant. June through October, the Lodge offers over 100 miles of fishing, hiking and trail riding through breathtaking terrain, hunting, paddle boarding, and canoeing. Trappers Lake is a symbol of our Wilderness and the Lodge is a manifestation of the intrinsic value of outdoor recreation.