You can certainly go out in the middle of the lake to catch rainbow, cutthroat, brook and brown trout. But the lake is also good for shore fishing, kayakers and even windsurfing if you’ve got a wetsuit. It stays pretty cold at this high of elevation!

Enjoy an afternoon taking a mountain bike ride around the lake with either the 15-mile loop or stay on the road and do the 13-mile loop. For hikers, it’s truly a paradise of wildflowers, aspens and evergreens. The Turquoise Lake Trail is a gentle six-mile trek that is on relatively easy terrain and is great for families. You can also take the Timberline Lake Trail and go deeper into the Holy Cross Wilderness.

You can easily spend the day picnicking at one of the National Forest Service sites for a small fee. The Lady of the Lake and the Maid of Erin and popular ones. Or load up the kids for a horseback riding adventure around the alpine terrain.

In wintertime, the lake is open for ice-fishing and the trails are groomed by the local snowmobilers club. This leaves many of the trails open for cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, snowmobiling and fat biking.