Nestled in the San Isabel National Forest, this gem was something Mom and I came upon by accident while on our way to Bishop Castle.  We were tooling along Hwy 165, west of Pueblo, looking at the Aspen in full color, when there it was – a sign for Lake Isabel.  It was not on our itinerary, but I braked hard and we turned in.  Through the trees we could see water. We didn’t need any other reason than that to stop in.

The road into Lake Isabel.

We paid our $3 to enter (it is run by the USDA), and drove until we found a shady spot to park.  The are was heavily wooded, and we weren’t sure what we’d end up seeing, but we parked, leashed up Sophie, and headed in.  Lake Isabel was a major surprise, in a thousand ways.  But the first was this:

Dedicated in 1986.  Once home, I tried to look up information on Lake Isabel, but the information is limited.  The lake is man-made, and there is a resort on the western edge of it.  There are also apparently cabins you can rent from the Forest Service, as well.  We walked the trails into the park, our goal being to get to the water, which we could see through the trees.  There were picnic tables tucked under trees, against rocks, and all in accessible locations.  There were bridges across the creek (it might have been a river) that fed the lake.  Everything was lush, quiet, and completely inviting.  When we finally made our way to the lake, the woods opened up onto a beautiful scene of water and mountains.

We walked partway around the lake, then back up through the picnic grounds.  Every trail we walked was accessible, and while we were alone (it was a Friday in October, after all), I could imagine the place being well-used in the warmer months.  I could have spent my entire day there! As it was, we spent well over an hour there, just wandering around.  You could see the resort/cabins up the hill from the lake.  I may look into a short summer vacation here at some point, or maybe schedule a nice writing retreat for myself.  It was that kind of place.

Fully accessible path.  This one was paved, but not all of them were.  But all were flat, wide, and well-maintained.

One of the bridges.  This one was relatively new, still smelling of creosote and stain.

The creek that ran through the center of the picnic area.

The woods in the sunlight were just gorgeous.  It was very peaceful.

There were rocks, too.  Reminded me a bit of Elephant Rock State Park in Missouri.

A peaceful walk through the woods.

There was a beautiful meadow, too.

Sun through the trees.

A cabin in the woods.  Boarded up, and was probably a restroom at one time. 

Creek where it meets the lake.

Fishermen on the lake.

Aspen in full fall glory.

Yes, the sky really IS that blue here!

 

 

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