Indian Peaks Wilderness · Colorado
High Lonesome Loop
A difficult one-night Hessie Trailhead → Hessie Trailhead circuit that climbs past King Lake, follows the Continental Divide on the High Lonesome Trail, and descends into the Devils Thumb permit zone. This is the Indian Peaks loop—not the longer Monarch-to-Rollins trail.
Clockwise via King Lake and the High Lonesome Trail
Read the one night . For this exact one-night trip and one saved permit zone across two permit pools. The permit on Recreation.gov
The circuit. The shape of it
King Lake first; Devils Thumb after the divide.
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King Lake side · mile 5.25
King Lake 11,431 ft The long opening climb reaches King Lake before continuing to the Continental Divide. -
Route crest · mile 7
Continental Divide ≈12,000 ft The loop stays high and exposed along the divide instead of dropping immediately after one summit. -
North divide · mile 8.4
Devil’s Thumb Pass area ≈11,750 ft The route leaves the divide and begins the long Devils Thumb descent toward Hessie.
- Hessie Trailhead Exact catalog entry
- King Lake Trail King Lake branch
- King Lake Climb continues to the divide
- Continental Divide Approximate 12,100-ft high point
- High Lonesome Trail Northbound divide segment
- Devil’s Thumb Pass area 11,747 ft on the official map
- Devils Thumb Zone Night 1 · watched
- Jasper corridor Pass through; do not substitute camps
- Hessie Trailhead Exact catalog exit
- Route length
- ≈15 miles
- Total climbing
- ≈3,300 ft gain
- High point
- ≈12,100 ft
- This watch
- 1 permit zone
- This itinerary
- 1 night / 2 trail days
This exact clockwise trip leaves Hessie on the King Lake branch, reaches the Continental Divide, follows the High Lonesome Trail north, then descends through Devils Thumb before returning to Hessie. The named order—not the clockwise label alone—defines the route.
From Hessie, use the Devil’s Thumb corridor to reach the King Lake Trail branch. Continue past King Lake to the Continental Divide, then follow the High Lonesome Trail north toward the Devil’s Thumb Pass area. The approximately 12,100-foot route crest lies on the divide traverse; the official map labels Devil’s Thumb Pass itself at 11,747 feet.
Descend east into the Devils Thumb backcountry zone for the one fixed permit night, then return through the lower Devil’s Thumb and Jasper corridor to Hessie. Jasper Lake is a separate designated-site-only zone, not an alternate camp in this watch.
Night by night
One night in one exact permit zone
This King Lake-first loop has one monitored camping night: Devils Thumb on the trip start date. The permit names a dispersed backcountry zone rather than a reserved campsite.
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N1
Devils Thumb Zone
Dispersed backcountry zone · advance reservation
Leave Hessie on the King Lake branch, cross the Continental Divide on the High Lonesome Trail, and descend into the reserved Devils Thumb zone for the one camping night.
Devils Thumb · Dispersed backcountry zone · advance reservation
- Devils Thumb
Camp legally and suitably inside the Devils Thumb zone on the trip start date. This is not a numbered campsite, reserved pad, exact lake camp, or coordinate.
- Over
- King Lake and the divide
- Camp elevation
- Varies by camp
- Water
- Treat natural sources
On the ground. Camp legally and suitably inside Devils Thumb on the exact permit date. Jasper Lake is a separate designated-site-only zone and cannot substitute for this night.
The permit
How this one-zone permit actually works
This watch combines the full-season and three-day-ahead Indian Peaks Wilderness overnight permit pools for Devils Thumb. The permit zone, Hessie access, and live route conditions remain separate planning problems.
- One exact zone-date
- Devils Thumb must be available for the saved trip start date and supported party size. Another zone does not complete this watch.
- June 1 through September 15
- Current guidance requires an overnight permit for every Indian Peaks backcountry zone used for camping during the permit season.
- Watch range one through twelve
- Wild Chime selects the Recreation.gov individual permit option for one through seven people and the group permit option for eight through twelve.
- A zone, not a reserved pad
- Devils Thumb is dispersed backcountry. A matching permit does not reserve a campsite coordinate, lakefront spot, platform, or numbered site.
- Two permit pools, one saved zone
- This watch evaluates the full-season and three-day-ahead Recreation.gov permit pools independently, then links an opening to the permit pool where it appeared.
- Hessie access is separate
- The wilderness permit includes neither parking nor a shuttle ride. Seasonal service and overnight parking require their own current plan.
- Print before the trip
- Printing opens seven days before entry. Once issued, the permit cannot be changed or canceled, and returned inventory has no promised release minute.
Primary planning intent
High Lonesome route and access answers.
“High Lonesome” names more than one route. This page covers the Hessie circuit that reaches King Lake before Devils Thumb.
Which High Lonesome route is this?
It is the roughly 15-mile Indian Peaks loop from Hessie via King Lake, the Continental Divide, and Devils Thumb—not the longer Monarch Lake-to-Rollins Pass trail.
High Lonesome Trail — CDT AccessWhich night does Wild Chime watch?
The exact catalog trip has one Devils Thumb permit-area night after the King Lake and divide segment.
Indian Peaks Wilderness mapCan I count on parking at Hessie?
No. Parking is very limited and seasonal shuttle arrangements change. Overnight backpackers should read Boulder County’s current parking and shuttle instructions before choosing an access plan.
Hessie Trailhead access and shuttleHard-won
Worth knowing before you go
Route identity, campsite, and Hessie access details that are easy to miss on this one-night loop.
This is the Hessie loop
Do not confuse it with the Forest Service’s separate 17.8-mile Monarch Lake-to-Rollins Pass High Lonesome Trail.
Expect about 15 miles
Mapped complete-loop sources cluster near 14.5–15 miles; Hessie road walking and individual traces can change the total.
The calendar proves nothing
Snow can persist on steep approaches and the divide beyond the permit opening date. Check recent evidence near departure.
Exposure changes quickly
Thunder, wind, cold, hail, snow, and low oxygen remain material. No published start time guarantees safe passage.
Devils Thumb means a zone
Choose a legal durable campsite inside the permitted boundary; the reservation supplies no exact camp coordinate.
Plan both Hessie days
Parking is limited, shuttle service is seasonal and dated, and the Nederland High School lot does not allow overnight parking.
Questions
High Lonesome Loop, asked and answered
Which direction does this exact loop use?
King Lake comes first, followed by the Continental Divide and High Lonesome Trail, the Devil’s Thumb Pass area, Devils Thumb zone, and the return to Hessie.
Is this the 17.8-mile Forest Service High Lonesome Trail?
No. That is a separate one-way Monarch Lake-to-Rollins Pass trail. This is the approximately 15-mile loop from Hessie.
Is Devils Thumb a reserved campsite?
No. It is a dispersed backcountry permit zone, not a numbered pad or exact coordinate.
Can the permit night move to Jasper Lake?
No. Jasper Lake is a separate designated-site-only zone and is not an eligible alternative in this fixed watch.
Does this watch cover the three-day permit option?
Yes. It watches the matching full-season and three-day-ahead permit pools independently for Devils Thumb.
Does the permit include Hessie parking or a shuttle?
No. Parking and the dated seasonal shuttle are separate access services, and Wild Chime monitors neither one.
Keep the intent distinct
More trips in Indian Peaks Wilderness.
Compare exact permit-night orders rather than substituting a nearby route or reversing the dates.
Exact-trip availability
Watch High Lonesome Loop.
Start with this exact direction, overnight order, and the permit locations that fit the saved party. Wild Chime reports qualifying openings; it never books or holds them.
For this exact one-night trip and one saved permit zone across two permit pools.
Review the current permit on Recreation.gov