The Forest Lakes are located 3.9 miles from East Portal Trailhead in the James Peak Wilderness. The first lake occupies a marshy flat below treeline; the second, much larger lake fills a deep bowl at treeline beneath Rollins Pass and the Continental Divide.

The Forest Lakes occupy the most northern of 5 adjacent valleys east of the Continental Divide between Rollins Pass (north) and James Peak (south)

Terrain around the upper lake is fairly rugged and cluttered, but with many openings to the shore

Forest Lake #1 is ringed by marshy meadows and thin bands of timber near treeline

The Forest Lakes Trail closely follows the lower lake's outlet stream into the upper valley

Asters belong to one of the largest taxonomic groups of vascular plants with over 20,000 species

A rugged and potentially ill-defined climb above Forest Lake #1 crosses this waterfall en route to Forest Lake #2

The James Peak Wilderness covers 17,000 acres within the Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests across Boulder, Gilpin and Clear Creek counties

Wildlife tends to use the same travel corridors as people, and while signs are common, sightings are fairly infrequent

A short trail runs down from Rollins Pass, but most choose to hike in from East Portal