Nolan Lake Trail is in the northwestern Sawatch Range

Sawatch Range

The Sawatch Range is a mountain range in central Colorado which includes eight of the twenty highest peaks in the Rocky Mountains, including Mount Elbert, at elevation, the highest peak in the Rockies....

, part of the Rocky Mountains

Rocky Mountains

The Rocky Mountains are a major mountain range in western North America. The Rocky Mountains stretch more than from the northernmost part of British Columbia, in western Canada, to New Mexico, in the southwestern United States...

 in the US state of Colorado

Colorado

Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...

. It is located in the Holy Cross Wilderness

Holy Cross Wilderness

The Holy Cross Wilderness is a U.S. Wilderness Area located in San Isabel and White River national forests near Leadville, Minturn, Avon, Edwards, Eagle, and Vail, Colorado. The wilderness with of trails was established in 1980. The wilderness was named after its highest peak, Mount of the...

 west of New York Mountain in Eagle County

Eagle County, Colorado

Eagle County is the thirteenth most populous of the 64 counties of the State of Colorado in the United States. The county is named for the Eagle River. The county population was 41,659 at U.S. Census 2000. The county seat is the Town of Eagle...

. Nolan Lake Trail is south of Interstate 70

Interstate 70

Interstate 70 is an Interstate Highway in the United States that runs from Interstate 15 near Cove Fort, Utah, to a Park and Ride near Baltimore, Maryland. It was the first Interstate Highway project in the United States. I-70 approximately traces the path of U.S. Route 40 east of the Rocky...

, near Eagle

Eagle, Colorado

Eagle is a Statutory Town in and the county seat of Eagle County, Colorado, United States. The population was 3,032 at the 2000 census.The town was made famous as the location of the Kobe Bryant sexual assault trial.-Demographics:...

and Fulford, Colorado.

The Nolan Lake Trail passes mining cabin ruins before winding upward through the forest. On the 1,400 foot ascent, the trail is wrapped in rock outcroppings that channel the cascades of Nolan Creek. Wildflowers carpet the wetland areas beside the trail during July and August.

Beyond Nolan Lake, the pointed granite teeth of Craig Peak, 11,902 feet, form an amphitheater surrounding the area. From the mouth of the Nolan Lake, the Fulford area and snow-capped peaks of the Gore Range can be seen north of Eagle.

The Nolan Lake Trail continues beyond Nolan Lake and winds along the base of New York Mountain, 12,525 feet, east of Nolan Lake. On New York Mountain, more mining ruins exist high above the tree-line. From the summit of New York Mountain, Gold Dust Peak, 13,365 feet, lies to the south.

Holy Cross Wilderness Area: Northern Trails of Eagle County, a hiking guide by Kim Fenske, provides a description of Nolan Lake Trail.