Ptarmigan Lake, 6 total miles, out and back.
There are two trailheads to this hike. I recommend and will describe the 6 mile one.
How you get there: From Buena Vista, CO, head west on CO 306 toward Cottonwood Pass for 14.5 miles and pull into the Ptarmigan Lake TH parking area to the left.
The Good😊: When you hike in Buena Vista, you really can't go wrong. With Mount Princeton staring across at you from every hike, the views are well.....Buena Vista :). We didn't see a lot of people on the hike until we met a host of fly-fishers at the lake.

The Bad: 😑After about 2 miles (approx) and when you pass a small pond on the right, be careful. The trail splits! If you veer to the left trail, you will end up at a lake that seems like it could be ptarmigan lake. To my chagrin, I did this hike many years ago and stopped there thinking that I had arrived at the end point. Avoid my mistake and veer right, stay near the pond. The lake should be about a mile past that.

The Beautiful: ❤️The lake is stunning and draws a community of fly fishers. We attempted a Jones Peak, a thirteener at the base of the lake but were ill-prepared with maps. As with all thirteeners, quite a bit of bush-wacking is required. I highly recommend this for a beautiful summer hike.

2 boots out of 5 for difficulty.
#ptarmiganlake #suzie #jamie #buenavista #jonespeak #dayhike
#summerhike

This is the pond where the trail splits..veer right which keeps you next to the pond.