Backpacking

Trailheads: Rolling Creek/Colorado Trail (east trailhead); Kenosha Pass (west trailhead) Activities: Hiking, Camping, Snowshoeing, Skiing Closest Towns: Bailey, Grant, and Jefferson, Colorado Driving Directions to Rolling Creek Trailhead (East):  Head west on Highway 285 from Denver. Continue on Highway 285 until you reach Bailey. Once in Bailey, hang an immediate left onto County Road (CR) 68 (Wellington Lake Road). Continue on CR 68 through Insmont and Eastabrook (Note that CR 68 turns into Forest Road (FR) 560). One (1) mile after passing through Eastabrook you’ll hit a fork in the road. Go right at the fork, and continue towards Wellington Lake for another 3 miles. 7.8 miles from Bailey, park at a small parking area on the south side of the road (large enough for trailers) or go right (south) a short distance to the Colorado Trail/Rolling Creek trailhead. Driving Directions to Kenosha Pass Trailhead (West): Take Highway 285 to the summit of Kenosha Pass. There are multiple signs on the top of the Pass that delineate the Colorado Trail Trailhead. Hiking Distance: 29 miles (one way) Description: This hike is best done as a shuttle backpacking trip.  You will inevitably deal with a decent amount of elevation gain.  Nonetheless, the […]

South Lost Creek Loop Trailhead: Colorado Trail (Rolling Creek) Trailhead Activities: Hiking, Camping, Skiing, Snowshoeing Closest City / Town: Bailey, Colorado Driving Directions: From Denver, head west on Highway 285. Continue on Highway 285 until you reach Bailey. Once in Bailey, hang an immediate left onto County Road (CR) 68 (Wellington Lake Road). Continue on CR 68 through Insmont and Eastabrook (Note that CR 68 turns into Forest Road (FR) 560). One (1) mile after passing through Eastabrook you’ll hit a fork in the road. Go right at the fork, and continue towards Wellington Lake for another 3 miles. 7.8 miles from Bailey, park at a small parking area on the south side of the road (large enough for trailers) or go right (south) a short distance to the Colorado Trail/Rolling Creek trailhead. Hiking Distance: Approximately 22 miles (roundtrip) Description: What more could you possibly want out of a backpacking trip?  The South Lost Creek Loop through the Lost Creek Wilderness offers utmost solitude, and is relatively gentle – with the exception of about 8 miles.  Most of the hiking involves navigating along the sides of various creeks.  Water is generally abundant throughout the trek. The trail begins at 8,360′ in […]

Trailhead: Grizzly Gulch Trailhead (Near St. Elmo) Activities: Hiking, Camping, Skiing, Snowshoeing Closest City / Town: St. Elmo, Colorado Driving Directions: From Nathrop travel west on County Road 162 for about 16 miles to the Grizzly Gulch parking area. The gravel parking lot is located on the left side of the road right before the old renovated mining town of St. Elmo. This is the best area to park if you are going to make the hike up to Grizzly Lake.  Although the road is vehicle accessible, it is extremely difficult to drive.  There is a major vehicle obstacle located approximately .5 miles up the road. Hiking Distance: 5.6 Miles (roundtrip) Description: This is one of those hikes where hikers simply have to ignore vehicles all the way up and down the trail.  Once you park at the Grizzly Gulch parking area, you will reach a junction with County Road (CR) 295.  Take a left onto this road and continue on it for .2 miles.  In .2 miles you will hit Forest Road (FR) 296.  FR 296 will take you all of the way up to Grizzly Lake. The views of Grizzly Lake, the mining cabins leading up to the Lake, […]

Trailhead: Silver Creek Trailhead Activities: Hiking, Camping Closest City / Town: Buena Vista, Colorado Driving Directions: Head west on County Road (CR) 350 (Crossman Ave.), which is located near the center of Buena Vista.  Travel down CR 350 for 2 miles and take a right onto CR 361. After 1 mile, turn left onto a dirt road (CR 365). Continue on this road for 3.5 miles to the marked trailhead. Note that this TH is just .1 miles beyond the TH for Mount Columbia. Hiking Distance: Approximately 9.0 miles (roundtrip) Description: Although none of the routes up Mount Yale (14,195′) are very technical, this route is by far the most difficult.  The trail follows the Colorado Trail for a couple of miles up until you hit the east ridge.  The hike is a no-mess-around type of adventure.  There are no switchbacks and the trail ascends strait up into the heavens. When Liz and Josh (the website authors) hiked the Colorado Trail, they only bumped into six other individuals on this route – not bad for a weekend hike on a fourteener.  Note that this route IS NOT the “standard” route up Mount Yale.  This route requires some off-trail scrambling and mountaineering. […]

Trailhead: North Tenmile Creek Trailhead (Frisco Main Street) Activities: Hiking, Camping, Skiing, Snowshoeing, Fishing Closest City / Town: Frisco, Colorado Driving Directions: Jump on I-70 and head towards Frisco.  Get off on the Main Street exit (Exit 201) for Frisco.  Instead of taking a left, which leads directly into Frisco, hang a right and park in the dirt parking lot.  This is the parking lot for the North Tenmile Creek Trail. Hiking Distance: The hike is 7.0 miles (roundtrip) to the Gore Range Trail junction. Description: North Tenmile Creek is a fun adventure into the southern tip of the Gore Range.  The Gore Range is one of Colorado’s most rugged mountain ranges.  Initially, the trail follows a closed jeep path up the valley.  After approximately two miles of hiking, you will enter the single-track country of Eagles Nest Wilderness Area.  After another 1.5 miles of traveling, you will run into a junction with the Gore Range Trail.  If you decide to head south, you will go to Copper Mountain.  If you decide to head north, you can follow the Gore Range Trail for up to 50 miles. Worth Noting: This is an excellent winter trail as well.  Mushrooms adorn the sides […]

Trailhead: Half Moon Pass Trailhead Activities: Hiking, Camping Closest City / Town: Red Cliff, Colorado Driving Directions: Take I-70 to Exit 171. Head south on Highway 24 for 4 miles (passing through Minturn). Take a right on Tigiwon Road (FDR 707). Continue on Tigiwon Road for 8 miles until you dead end into the Half Moon Pass Trailhead. Hiking Distance: 10 miles (roundtrip) Description: If you are making a run at Mount of the Holy Cross, it is worthwhile to camp out at East Cross Creek.  The hike begins by climbing nearly 2,000′ to the summit of Half Moon Pass.  Holy Cross and a marvelous cascade can be viewed directly to the southwest.  From there, you will drop approximately 1,000′ to East Cross Creek.  You will only have 2 miles and 3,000 vertical feet to travel from that point to reach Holy Cross’ summit.  Mount of the Holy Cross sits at the north tip of the Sawatch Range. Worth Noting: Don’t miss the awe-inspiring waterfall on East Cross Creek.  The fall is most visible just beyond Half Moon Pass (look directly at Holy Cross; you’ll see the fall below it).

Trailhead: Fern Lake Trailhead Activities: Hiking, Camping, Skiing, Snowshoeing Closest City / Town: Estes Park, Colorado Driving Directions: Enter into Rocky Mountain National Park via the Beaver Meadows Entrance Station. From the entrance station, make a left onto Bear Lake Road. Continue on Bear Lake Road for 2 miles, and hand a right onto Moraine Park Road. Moraine Park Road will eventually dead-end at the Fern Lake Trailhead. In sum, you will travel 4.1 miles from the Beaver Meadows Entrance Station. Hiking Distance: 7.6 miles (roundtrip) Description: Making this Rocky Mountain National Park hike during the fall, winter, or spring is a great way to beat the crowds.  However, snowshoes are a requisite if you decide to make the trek in the winter and early spring. The Fern Lake Trailhead sits at 8,155′ in elevation.  The first 2.5 miles are relatively flat and easy.  You will not encounter much elevation gain until you ascend the final 1.3 miles.  Fern Lake is a marvelous high-alpine body of water.  You will gain approximately 1,350′ in elevation on this hike, topping out at 9,503′. Camping at Fern Lake is available, but only through a backcountry permitting system; contact the National Park Service for further […]

Trailhead: North Supply Trailhead Activities: Hiking, Backpacking, Camping, Fishing Closest City / Town: Grand Lake and Granby, CO (Estes Park is relatively close if Trail Ridge Road is open) Driving Directions: On Highway 34, between Granby and Grand Lake, turn west onto County Road 4 between mile markers 9 and 10. Take County Road 4 to a junction, and turn right onto FR 120 (a.k.a. Kauneeche Road). Follow FR 120 for 9.3 miles to the North Supply Trailhead. FR 120 is a good road that is passable by most 2wd vehicles with moderate clearance.  However, a 4wd with high clearance is recommended.   Hiking Distance: ~16.5 miles (roundtrip) Trip Report (July 23 – July 27, 2011): Day One – Car Camping at North Supply Trailhead: We drove to the North Supply Trailhead from Denver to hike the Bowen Lake Loop.  I had serious reservations about the snow that we might encounter during the trip to the aptly named Never Summers.  The 2010-11 winter left most of northern Colorado blanketed in over 200% of the average annual mountain snowpack.  To top that off, the spring – and some might not even call it that – was particularly cold and damp. Car camping […]

Trailhead: Hessie Trailhead Activities: Hiking, Backpacking, Fishing, Snowshoeing (to a point) Closest City / Town: Nederland, Colorado Driving Directions: From the Peak-to-Peak Highway (Highway 119/72), turn west on County Road 130, located just south of Nederland town center, and follow signs for Eldora and Eldora Ski Resort. At the fork in the road, keep right, through the town of Eldora. At the end of town, continue westward as the pavement ends; veer left at the next fork towards Hessie Trailhead. The Hessie Trailhead sees extremely high use, especially on weekends, and parking is limited. Plan to arrive early, and watch for signs along the road indicating legal parking spots. ***Please note that a stretch of the road from County Road 130 to the Hessie Trailhead is a cobblestone creek bed. It carries water year round and runs heavily in the early summer. It is passable by 2-wheel drive vehicles; however, high clearance is recommended. There is a parallel trail so that hikers can bypass the water.*** Hiking Distances: (one way) Jasper Lake: 4.5 miles Devil’s Thumb Lake: 5.5 miles Continental Divide: 6.5 miles Devil’s Thumb Pass: 7.1 miles Description: Making the trek up to Devil’s Thumb Pass is a great, yet challenging, […]

Trailhead: Fourth of July Trailhead Activities: Hiking, Backpacking, Camping Closest City / Town: Nederland, Colorado Driving Directions: From Peak-to-Peak Highway (Highway 119/72), turn west on County Road 130, located just south of Nederland town center, and follow signs for Eldora and Eldora Ski Resort. At the fork in the road, keep right, through the town of Eldora. At the end of town, continue westward as the pavement ends. Go right at the fork in the road (left will take you to the Hessie Trailhead). Another 4 miles brings you to the 4th of July Trailhead. This portion of the road is rough but passable in a passenger car. The Fourth of July Trailhead sees extremely high use, especially on weekends, and parking is limited. Plan to arrive early and watch for signs along the road indicating legal parking spots if the trailhead parking lot is full. Hiking Distances: (all distances are one way) Fourth of July Mine: 2.0 miles Arapaho Pass: 3.2 miles Caribou Lake: Approximately 4 miles Description: The hike up to Arapaho Pass, which tops out at 11,906′, and then down to Caribou Lake is a relatively rigorous jaunt.  However, the climb is steady and non-technical.  You will encounter […]

Woodland Lake Trailhead: Hessie Trailhead Activities: Hiking, Backpacking, Fishing Closest City / Town: Nederland, Colorado Driving Directions: From the Peak-to-Peak Highway (Highway 119/72), turn west on County Road 130, located just south of Nederland town center, and follow signs for Eldora and Eldora Ski Resort. At the fork in the road, keep right, through the town of Eldora. At the end of town, continue westward as the pavement ends; veer left at the next fork towards Hessie Trailhead. The Hessie Trailhead sees extremely high use, especially on weekends, and parking is limited. Plan to arrive early and watch for signs along the road indicating legal parking spots. ***Please note that a stretch of the road from County Road 130 to the Hessie Trailhead is a cobblestone creek bed. It carries water year round and runs heavily in the early summer. It is passable by 2-wheel drive vehicles; however, high clearance is recommended. There is a parallel trail so hikers can bypass the water.*** Hiking Distance: 4.3 miles (one way) Description: The Hessie Trailhead (elevation 9,009′) is such a great starting point for any hiking adventure in Indian Peaks Wilderness because there are so many options to choose from.  One of the […]