Midway Creek Trail runs miles 8.7 miles from Lost Man Trailhead to Hunter Flats in the Hunter - Frying Pan Wilderness. Midway Pass (11,841') is located 4 miles from the trailhead between Coleman Creek drainage (south) and Midway Creek drainage (north). Midway Pass is a compelling alternative to the Lost Man Loop, which leaves from the same trailhead and accesses Lost Man Lake and Independence Lake. This moderate hike features expansive alpine meadows with panoramic views across the Maroon Bells, Collegiate Peaks and Hunter-Frying Pan wilderness areas.

The Midway Creek Trail crosses treeline at 2.15 miles and reaches this alpine pond at 2.7 miles

View down the Coleman Creek drainage, which is south of Midway Pass and feeds the Roaring Fork River

By mid June elk retreat to higher elevations in the Colorado Rockies, where they'll remain in small-medium size herds until the autumn rut

The Midway Creek Trail crests at 12,112' before dropping 1 mile to Midway Pass (11,841')

The trail scales steep slopes leading to its high point on a bench below this 13,033' peak in the Williams range

The Hunter-Fryingpan Wilderness is part of the White River National Forest, which is the most visited National Forest in the country

Big open spaces provide good wildlife viewing opportunities across multiple drainages and mountainsides

The White River National Forest covers 2.3M acres and features ten 14ers, twelve ski areas and eight wilderness areas

The Collegiate Peaks frame views to the south, a 167,000+ acre wilderness area capped by eight 14ers

The Williams Range frames the east side of Midway Pass and Midway Creek, a small sub-range in the Hunter-Fryingpan Wilderness

The Collegiate Peaks is thought to have the highest average elevation of any wilderness area in the lower 48 states

This 12,291' peak frames the easy side of Midway Pass, one of several accessible summits off the main trail

Willow is the most common alpine tundra shrub which typically forms thick mats, especially along stream corridors

Though large snowfields may linger through early July, travel is still fairly moderate across the trail's highest points