Echo Lake Park, Mountain lake and historic district in Clear Creek County, Colorado

Echo Lake is a mountain lake in Clear Creek County surrounded by subalpine forests of fir, pine, and bristlecone trees. A walking path circles the shoreline, and a historic lodge from the 1920s stands on the grounds, now operating as a restaurant and shop.

The lake formed naturally through glacial activity in the mountain valley and later became a destination for outdoor enthusiasts. The lodge was built in 1926 and received protection as a historic landmark in 1995, along with other structures on the grounds.

Echo Lake and Mount Blue Sky were named a historic site by the American Physical Society in 2017 for cosmic-ray experiments run at the lake and on the mountain between 1935 and 1960. A plaque outside the Echo Lake Lodge marks the designation. The lodge itself, a two-story octagonal log building on a local granite base, was designed by Denver architect Jacques Benedict to resemble a Native American earth lodge.

The walking path around the lake is easy to follow and takes about half an hour to complete. A parking area sits at the entrance, and the lodge provides a place to eat or rest while enjoying the views.

The lake was created by glacial processes when ancient ice deposited ridges of rock and earth that redirected water flow and formed a basin. Today the road passing by this area is known among cyclists for its steep climbing challenges.