Stagecoach State Park – Lakeside Trail

Stagecoach State Park

Stagecoach State Park is a real gem of a park located about 25 minutes south of Steamboat Springs in Colorado. According to their website, Stagecoach features a boat launch, 92 campsites, picnic areas, a marina, hiking trails, and a swim beach. The main feature though is the 820 acre Stagecoach Reservoir. The reservoir was active on my visit with boats on the water and people fishing along the coastline. Stagecoach is surrounded with some really nice vistas and the views are impressive. I took a short trip and enjoyed a shorter hike. Here is a look at the Stagecoach State Park Lakeside Trail.

Getting Started

I went to the northern entrance and then made my way to the visitor center before the hike. The visitor center is nice and overlooks the campground so if you are thinking of camping here it might be nice to check out. I got a map and found the Lakeside trail. The parking for the trail was near the trailhead where other cars were lined up to fish off the a small inlet that came close to the main road.

The Hike

The Lakeside Trail hike is pretty simple. It follows the contours of the northwest side of the of the lake between the lake and the road. I honestly didn’t notice the road much because I kept staring out at the water the entire time. The trail is easy to follow and wide so it really turns into a nice nature walk near the lake! There is a very small hill but most of the hike is pretty flat.

The trail lasts for a mile before it connects with another smaller parking lot I used that lot to turn around and treat the hike as an out and back. Others started in that lot and were fishing around the spot. There really isn’t too much from a technical standpoint to the hike. The most challenging part is not stopping to stare at the amazing views over the two mile out and back.

The Views

What makes this park and the hike so special are the views. The lakes sits at the base of several small foothills and some larger mountains. The foothills were early season green and beautiful. One hill even had a small herd of cattle out grazing. The taller mountains had some small strips of snow still holding onto the peaks. They all filtered down to the crystal blue Stagecoach Reservoir.

There were occasional homes in the foothills but for the most part the whole area felt untouched. When I looked across the lake it felt like the landscape went on forever. It really felt like it was an isolated oasis compared to the crowding of the front range. It was a great way to relax and step away from it all for a bit. I loved the views and they made the entire hike!

Video of Stagecoach State Park Lakeside Trail

I have put this time-lapse video together of hiking to Stagecoach State Park Lakeside Trail so other hikers can get a feel of what the hike is like. If you enjoy this video make sure to subscribe to my YouTube channel. It is free to subscribe and you will get the latest outdoor content.

Distance and Elevation

If you don’t have the AllTrails app you might want to check it out, I really love mine. It records your progress and is a great way to search for hikes that are nearby and gives you difficulty measurements. According to AllTrails today’s hike was around 2.0 miles and had a total elevation gain of about 69 feet including undulations. That put the high point at around 7,239 feet. I was also moving for a total of 39 minutes.

I am a Pro member of AllTrails and love it. If you are interested in the platform, please consider using my affiliate link for AllTrails. It gives me a small commission with no extra cost to you.

Effort

The Lakeside Trail at Stagecoach State Park is definitely on the easier side. There is no intense elevation gain to worry about and the trail is wide and easy to manage. I think pretty much every skill level should be able to handle this trail without much difficulty.

Terrain

The Lakeside trail is wide and well developed making it easy to follow. There are some areas that had a bit of mud in the spring but for the most part the trail was in great shape and while I hiked I saw a couple of bikes on the trail and they also had no problems. Any good athletic shoe should be fine for this trail.

Access to Stagecoach State Park

Stagecoach State Park is located at 25500 Co Road 14 in Oak Creek, Colorado. It is between Yampa and Oak Creek on Colorado 131 about 25 minutes south of Steamboat Springs. There are many activities available including camping, swimming and fishing. The Lakeside trail is located past the campgrounds and “Yampatheatre” where the road runs out.

There is a $10 daily vehicle fee to get into the park. You can also use a yearly State Parks Pass or the license plate add on.

Wrapping up the Stagecoach State Park Lakeside Trail

I was really impressed with Stagecoach State park. The reservoir was great and full of nice crystal blue water. The campground looked really nice and I am looking to see if I can get some reservations at some point later in the season. (It’s books up early!)

The hike was the perfect stop for me after about 3 hours of a road-trip. I really was ready to get out and stretch my legs and this easy trail was perfect for that. The views were stunning of the hills and mountains surrounding the lake. After a long winter it was nice to see so much green around. The trail is easy and I think everyone should be able to handle this one. If you are looking to get away from the crowds around Steamboat, Stagecoach might be just what you are looking for.

I have added this hike and all of my hikes to the interactive map page you can find here. If you have any suggestions for hikes or comments feel free to email me at fatmanlittletrails@gmail.com or you can follow me on any of the below social media platforms. Happy Hiking!

Gallery of Stagecoach State Park Lakeside Trail