Looking up at the Continental Divide from just above Brainard Lake and below Long Lake. Photo by Lenny Lensworth Frieling.

A Boulder Backyard Masterpiece

Today’s Outdoor Picture of the Day features a stunning photograph by Lenny Lensworth Frieling, capturing one of the true crown jewels of the Front Range — Brainard Lake. Sitting just above Boulder, this alpine gem feels like the city’s elevated backyard… the place where locals go when they want that instant hit of mountain air, quiet forests, and views that make you forget anything else exists.

In Lenny’s photo, you’re looking up toward the Continental Divide, framed in perfect clarity on a beautiful Colorado day. The shot is taken just above Brainard Lake and just below Long Lake, right where the valley opens and the peaks begin to rise sharply into the skyline. That angle gives you a front-row seat to the rugged ridgelines and the dramatic sweep of the high country.

Brainard Lake: Boulder’s Alpine Escape

Brainard Lake is one of the quickest “wow-factor” getaways from town — the kind of place where Boulderites can finish breakfast, hop in the car, and be standing beside reflective alpine water before most cities have their first traffic jam. With trails shooting up toward Lake Isabelle, Long Lake, and the Divide itself, it’s a year-round favorite for hikers, snowshoers, photographers, and anyone chasing Colorado’s best mountain moments.

A Perfect Day, Captured Perfectly

Lenny’s image nails what makes the area so special: bright skies, clean air, shimmering water, and that unmistakable feeling that you’re standing on the doorstep of something vast and wild. It’s the kind of picture that reminds you why so many people choose Boulder — because scenes like this are right up the road, waiting for anyone who wants a quick escape, a deep breath, or a reminder of Colorado’s unmatched natural beauty.

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