We needed a place to leave Annie while we went to the hot springs, so we did two things we don't often do: leave Annie behind for a few hours and rented a cabin at a KOA.
The next morning, we headed out to hike Gilpin Lake from the Slavonia Trailhead. The trail is 8.5 miles roundtrip, with an option to make it an 11.20 mile trip called the "Zirkel Circle" or Zirkel Loop". This route requires going past the lake, up the pass, and down a parallel trail back to the parking lot. Unfortunately, we didn't realize the Zirkel Circle was an option until we were already at Gilpin Lake. There, we decided it was too late in the day to climb a pass and tack on three extra miles, so we stuck to our original plan.
The trail profile is pretty gentle, with a 2,000 foot elevation gain over the 4.25 miles to the lake. We frequently stopped to admire this unique time when late summer meets early fall, where the wildflowers are still vibrant, mushrooms are bursting out of the ground, and berries begin to ripen.