Archuletta Lake trail starts at Big Meadow Reservoir. The trailhead is just a short 20-minute drive from South Fork off US-160, follow signs for Big Meadow Reservoir. From the trailhead parking lot, the Archuletta Lake trail travels south on the west side of the lake. At the south end of the lake, at 3/4 of a mile, the trail starts to climb. At 1.75 miles you enter the Weminuche Wilderness.
The trail follows the South Fork of the Rio Grand River for several miles until it drops away in the valley to the south at 2.6 miles. At this point, the trail now follows Archuleta Creek. For a mile or so you parallel Archuleta Creek. At about 4.5 miles the trail diverges from the creek and then crosses the creek again at 6 miles. You finally reach Archuletta Lake 6.7 mile point.
From the lake, Mount Hope can be viewed to the North East. To the West, you are just shy of the Continental Divide. The trailhead is at 9254 feet and Archuleta Lake is at 11762 feet. Use the Hiking Time Calculator to estimate your trip time.
