The Sunday after the Leadville 100, my wife and I drove over Independence Pass to see the Grottos along the Roaring Fork. I’ve long known about the Grottos and been over Independence Pass many times but never stopped to explore.
There are 3 main trails in the area. One stays on the highway side and is wheelchair accessible. The other 2 are on the other side of the Roaring Fork. The longest is Old Stage Road and goes up to Lincoln Creek. The trail to the cool Grottos area takes off from the Old Stage Road after a few hundred yards and looked more like a social trail at the junction.
The Grottos area is less than a half mile from the parking lot. There’s the Ice Cave that is a slot carved into the granite from an old stream channel. There wasn’t any ice in it when we were there but I’d guess ice could stay in it through early summer. There are also waterfalls on the Roaring Fork with a maze of trails for exploring.
– UltraRob
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