In this post we will share our photo gallery of Rabbit Ears Pass and Dumont Lake. This is one of our favorite places to camp and explore in Colorado. If you would like to read more about some of the activities in this area check out our article, Adventure at Rabbit Ears Pass and Dumont Lake. If you would like to check out more official information about the area here is the link to the Forest Service page on Dumont Lake Campground in Medicine Bow-Route National Forest.
If you want to see some of our photos from our time at Rabbit Ears Pass and Dumont Lake, then you are in the right place!
Hiking at Rabbit Ears Pass and Dumont Lake
We did not go on any major or rigorous hikes in the area, but we did explore some of the small trails and forest roads around the lake and surrounding area. Stephanie loves walking through fields of flowers!
The whole Rabbit Ears Pass and Dumont Lake area was full of Colorado wildflowers when we visited on this particular camping trip. As you can see there are small trails that you can explore and find your way between your campsite and the lake.
Once again, everywhere we went there were beautiful wildflowers alongside the trail. This is such a gorgeous part of Colorado to go camping, during the warm summer months.
Fishing at Dumont Lake in Colorado
We were able to do some trout fishing while we were visiting Dumont Lake. There are reports the lake holds some nice Brook Trout, but I was catching small to midsize Rainbow Trout. There is some decent depth to Dumont Lake, dropping to around 20 feet deep in some areas. This means fishermen can use various techniques to catch fish.
We walked from our dispersed campsite in Route National Forest to Dumont Lake via forest roads. As you can see even the forest roads had loads of wildflowers. Eventually, we cut off on a small trail through Dumont Lake Campground directly to Dumont Lake. There is a fee for day use so make sure to follow all regulations.
Once at the lake, the fishing is good. I pretty much worked my way around the lake fishing with a combination of spinners and spoons. The bank is mostly accessible for fishing all the way around, with one exception. The bank furthest from the picnic area is the flood plain and can be swampy. There were some spots on that side of Dumont Lake that would be great if I had waders and my fly rod. But, I did not, so I just made my way around the wet spots and kept fishing as soon as I could get back to the bank.
Mushroom Foraging in Route National Forest near Rabbit Ears Pass
Route National Forest is where we first developed an interest in mushroom foraging. I am not exactly a lover of edible mushrooms with one exception, the Porcini mushroom. These mushrooms are also called King Bolete as well as other names. Porcini mushrooms are huge light brown mushrooms. And they happen to be some of the best edible mushrooms in the world.
Well, we actually had our first encounter with Porcinis in the wild, while we were camping in Route National Forest near Rabbit Ears Pass. We were walking down the forest road toward Dumont Lake when we notice some pine needles that looked like they had been disturbed but from the underside. As if something was pushing them up. As we brushed the pine needles away it turns out some Porcini mushrooms were finding their way through the pine needles.
At the time we did not know what kind of mushrooms they were, so we photographed them and dissected one to get enough information to identify them later. But once we identified the mushrooms as Porcinis, foraging for them has become a hobby of ours. Just be sure to check the regulations to see if you need a permit and how many you can collect at a time.
Please be careful when trying to identify mushrooms in the forest. The safest practice is to only eat mushrooms that have been identified by an expert.
Photos from Camping near Rabbit Ears Pass and Dumont Lake
Here are a few other photos from our time camping near Rabbit Ears Pass and Dumont Lake. Let’s start with one more photo of Stephanie walking through a meadow of wildflowers!
We did not get many photos of wildlife on this camping trip. We did encounter some deer and a grouse, but were not able to get photos. This was my first time encountering a grouse in the wild and it was kind of a strange experience. It looked like a chicken darting from bush to bush.
We also saw a few sheep grazing. Here is a photo of an adult sheep and a young one.
Finally, it seems appropriate to end this photo gallery with one more picture of the wildflowers by Dumont Lake. Being immersed in Colorado wildflowers really was one of the best parts of camping and exploring Rabbit Ears Pass and Dumont Lake.
