Independence Lake and Lost Man Lake are located 1.8 miles and 2.75 miles from Independence Lake Trailhead on Highway 82 in the Hunter-Frying Pan Wilderness. The two are separated by Lost Man Pass (12,810') on the Lost Man Loop Trail. Deadman Lake is located 6.8 miles from the same trailhead over South Fork Pass along the South Fork Frying Pan River.

It's a relatively moderate .5 mile, 325' climb from Independence Lake to Lost Man Pass

Lost Man Lake fills a scenic bowl on the north side of Lost Man Pass, forming the headwaters of Lost Man Creek, a tributary of the Roaring Fork

The entire Roaring Fork Watershed covers approximately 1450 square miles, about the size of Rhode Island (*RoaringFork.org)

Linkins Lake (12,008') is located .55 miles off the Lost Man Loop in a steep walled bowl along the south ridge of Geissler Mountain

Independence Lake forms the headwaters of the Roaring Fork River, a 70-mile long tributary of the Colorado River

Indian Paintbrush (Figwort Family) was designated the state flower of Wyoming in 1917

Lost Man Lake fills a scenic bowl on the north side of Lost Man Pass, forming the headwaters of Lost Man Creek, a tributary of the Roaring Fork

A large tarn just east of Independence Lake is easy to reach, with great views of the Collegiate Peaks on the southern horizon

View from South Fork Pass, which splits north off the busy Lost Man Loop into the remote South Fork Frying Pan drainage

Elephants Head is in the genus 'Pedicularis', derived from the Latin word meaning 'louse', from the misguided belief the plant could spread lice

The trail drops 325' in .4 miles from Lost Man Pass to Lost Man Lake, crossing some potentially tricky talus and snow fields before leveling to the lake

The trail all but fades below Deadman Gulch in wide damp meadows, but navigation is intuitive on the last .25 miles to Deadman Lake

Alpine Bistort (Polygonum viviparum) roots have a starchy root system that provides valuable nutrients to alpine birds and mammals

Deadman Lake is more of a large marshy pond, but the surrounding meadows are very attractive and easy to explore

Meadows along the South Fork Frying Pan River provide rich habitat for elk, moose, bear and a variety of smaller mammals

The Lost Man Loop Trail - which is not a true loop - runs 8.8 miles from Lost Man Campground to the Independence Lake Trailhead on Highway 82 four miles away

Alpine tundra grasses below Lost Man Lake include Alpine Blue Grass, Skyline Blue Grass, Spike Trisetum, Tufted Hair Grass, Spreading Wheatgrass, Kobresia and Pyrennian Sedge

Lost Man Lake (12,482')