I hiked clockwise and the first half is pretty much down hill passing some small waterfalls an old mine that is securely fenced off. The lake doesn't cost anything to go to. Highly suggest taking a right at the fork because 1/2 of the trail is pretty bland. Durango Tourism; Durango Hotels; Durango Bed and Breakfast; Durango Holiday Rentals; Durango Packages; Flights to Durango; Durango Restaurants; Durango Attractions The camp hosts are always friendly and helpful and the facilities are always clean. The trail offers a number of activity options and is best used from May until September. Twenty six of the campsites are reservable and 17 of these campsites have electrical hookups. If you take a right the second half of the trail runs along the water. Some rocky places and had to wade across a stream. I should have read more carefully though, the name of the trail made me think I would be hiking out to/around the lake, but it doesn’t go that way. Beautiful water with gorgeous scenery surrounding the lake. Lovely scenery. We visited Haviland Lake after a horseback ride at the Rapp Corral. The lake doesn't cost anything to go to. At home, I am a trail blazer and maintainer. Haviland View Trail is a trail on Haviland Lake and Elbert Creek in San Juan National Forest, CO. Amazing, perfect Sunday trail for us not to difficult and very beautiful. The fishing here is usually good and the lake is a no wake lake which. more, Top Selling Tours & Activities in and around Durango. Horses use the trail. Also, yes, as other reviews indicate lots of horse poo, but didn't get in our way of fun. Dogs and horses are also able to use this trail. There is also a lot to do in close proximity to this campground - Durango, the ski area, horseback riding, hot springs, and the drive up through Molas Pass to Silverton and Ouray is breathtaking! lake was low and we saw one waterfall but it was a fairly easy walk. that are easy to miss (we missed both). Nothing within this trail system is extremely difficult and would be doable within a few hours time. Pretty easy. Fun trail! The Chris Park Campground is utilized only for group camping and must be reserved in advanced. A quarter of a mile from the highway, the road forks north to Haviland Lake, south to Chris Park. We visited Haviland Lake after a horseback ride at the Rapp Corral. It goes along the creek. Saw an Osprey flying overhead and many hummingbirds there. They have a pier and a short boat launch. Would have been lost without App on my phone. While on our drive from Ouray to Durango, we saw the sign for this campground in San Juan National Forest and decided to take a detour to have a picnic lunch. My husband and I visited Haviland Lake campground on a Friday afternoon. Really beautiful fall colors, mostly shaded and a well marked trail with nice moderate difficulty. Turn off your ad blocker to see a map of this trail, Lime Mesa to Ruby Lake, Emerald Lake and Needle Creek Trail Junction and, Sunlight Peak via Animas River Trail and Needle Creek Trail, Sunlight Peak, Windom Peak, North Eolus and Mount Eolus via Purgatory Campground. Look for a variety of montane bird species, including Evening Grosbeak, Grace’s Warbler, Ruby-crowned and Golden-crowned Kinglets, Brown Creeper, and Williamson’s Sapsucker. Not too much poop from horses. Nice hike, longer than the trail is stated to be. Beautiful shady trail that was not too tough for an older and somewhat novice hiker like myself. We stopped several times for the dog to plays around in it to stay cool. It, A pleasant enough hike IF you have Alltrails downloaded in advance, to your smartphone, so that you can detect when you drift off the trail. The creek side cliff is to rocky. We only passed about four other people the whole time. Rentals are affordable and we guarantee your rental will arrive on time or you’ll get your money back. We just hung out and watched birds and all the people on their paddle boats and floats. Trails adjoining Bear Ranch are privately owned and a fee is charged for using them. Our rental gear is high quality and in great shape. Could not understand trail signs since were not labeled on map so just followed the red line. Parking is also nice and close to the trail head. HAVILAND LAKE AND CHRIS PARK – The lake is 20 miles north of Durango off US 550 where most hikers and skiers (or bikers!) I assess the marking of these trails to be poor. surrounding the lake. If you are a resident of another country or region, please select the appropriate version of Tripadvisor for your country or region in the drop-down menu. This is the version of our website addressed to speakers of English in the United States. It’s rocky but path was easy to follow. Once I figured that out I totally enjoyed the absolutely stunning fall colors, a beautiful waterfall, and a perfect level of difficulty (some steeper points but mostly just a leisurely nature walk). Haviland Lake Trail is a 6.1 kilometer heavily trafficked loop trail located near Durango, Colorado that features a lake and is rated as moderate. Hopefully next time Haviland Lake will be full! If you feel like you’re getting lost or don’t know which way to go, just follow the poop but overall, gorgeous trail would recommend. The trail offers a number of activity options and is best used from May until September. Beautiful water with gorgeous scenery. And definitely don't forget your bug spray. It is important to move off of the trail but to stay visible and let the horse know you are there. Haviland Lake Campground, about 18 miles north of Durango, is 1 mile east of U.S. Highway 550 on Forest Rd. They have a pier and a short boat launch. Mostly in the shade of trees. The views here are forest and hills, not sweeping mountains. Please choose a different date. SO MUCH HORSE POOP! If you go counter clockwise you are rewarded with the waterfalls toward the last 3/4 miles or so. Don’t wear nice shoes, there is poop literally every 3 feet. We just hung out and watched birds and all the people on their paddle boats and floats. The Haviland Lake trail system is very popular in the winter time for both X-Country Skiing and Snowshoeing. There is a small dam and lots of campsites. Very quiet and peaceful walk through the forest, and not too challenging. After parking, do not go UP the hill past the fence, go straight past the "wagon" post DOWN into the trail. Haviland Lake State Wildlife Area A beautiful mountain lake surrounded by ponderosa forest and a campground — what more could you ask for? So be careful on your directions. But we did it!! Nice views, not spectacular. Was expecting to have a picnic at a beautiful lake only to find it mostly drained. This trail has many variations, so the app was necessary for us. We couldn't have chosen a better place to stop. https://sanjuannf.oncell.com/project-assets/4457/img/fda0e7b9c02194c3ee01d8007a308e821701c829ff63fdf9c16ce722.jpg. HAVILAND LAKE AND CHRIS PARK – The lake is 20 miles north of Durango off US 550 where most hikers and skiers (or bikers!) Haviland Lake Trail is a 3.8 mile heavily trafficked loop trail located near Durango, Colorado that features a lake and is rated as moderate. Great hike. Depending on which way you go First you end up with a nice Creek as ambient background sounds in a little waterfall. The lake doesn't cost anything to go to. Main trail head is now called Wagon. Hotels near (CEZ) Montezuma County Airport, Hotels near (TEX) Telluride Regional Airport, Surfing, Windsurfing & Kitesurfing in Durango, Points of Interest & Landmarks in Durango, San Juan National Forest: Tickets & Tours‎, Historic Downtown Durango: Tickets & Tours‎, Durango Fish Hatchery and Wildlife Museum: Tickets & Tours‎, Durango Community Recreation Center: Tickets & Tours‎, Powerhouse Science Center: Tickets & Tours‎. Always keep on Wagon trail. Great trail for exercise and seeing fall colors. park off the highway and start from there. Trails adjoining Bear Ranch are privately owned and a fee is charged for using them. A quarter of a mile from the highway, the road forks north to Haviland Lake, south to Chris Park. The Chris Park Road is downhill for a mile to the park itself and is not especially recommended. Take the north fork and you can cross the lake and gain access to the road again or other trails in the area. We just hung out and watched birds and all the people on their paddle boats and floats. We did not camp but enjoyed about 30 minutes watching fisherman and multiple geese.