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St. Mary's Glacier

Late Summer, 1998

Arapaho National Forest

Starting Elevation:

10,300 feet ?

Highest Elevation:

11,XXX feet

Distance (round trip):

1 mile

click on each photo to view a larger image

Getting There: Take I-70 West from Denver, past the town and three exits of Idaho Springs. Take the next exit marked "Fall River Road". Just past the bottom of the ramp, take a right (north) on Fall River Road. Follow this road up past the town of Alice to one of two parking areas for the clearly marked trailhead to St. Mary's Glacier.

Did You Know? The only place in the United States (world?) where a river flows into a creek is by where you exit I-70 to head up towards St. Mary's Glacier. Near this intersection, Fall River flows into Clear Creek!

Here is some good information I received from a local resident of the area via email:

Your info and pictures are great. I only wish to inform you and all who read your sight, some facts of the area.

First, the two mentioned parking area's are private property. I own the smaller of the two. These "parking area's, are sub-division lots.

Second, all the land below and immediately surrounding the glacier are also private property. The forest service has most of the land above the glacier.

Third, your picture with the jeep coming up the "road", not trail, was good. The trail hike is a sub-division road that is not developed yet. I doubt the driver was a property owner, but he was'nt tresspassing, until he stopped, and went on the hike. The community and the forest service made the road, rougher than it was to keep people from driving, cutting a trail with vehicle, to the glacier. In Colorado the law is you need to know where you are, or going, property owners don't have to post property signs.

I don't wish for the hike to be closed, I just wish people understood the area better. Most people are stewards to the area, pack in/pack out, keep dog's leashed at all times, bury their and their dog's "business", and I think the most important, STAY THE TRAIL.

I own 16 lots by the glacier and am constantly catching people, cutting of the trail and taking "short cuts". I always am nice, and remind people to go back the way you came. Most people are reasonable, but of course there are the people who try to ruin it for everyone.

The trailhead to the glacier.