We present nine backpacking trips close to home that you can tick off in a weekend but will take you deep into the wild.
It’s been a rotten week at work. Stress is churning in your belly like a bag of half-digested AA batteries. It’s time for some genuine mountain therapy.
An understated advantage of living in the Front Range is just how abruptly you can escape and leave behind the cranky din of the city. A mere hour’s drive and you are within range of several trailheads, portals to true Rocky Mountain wilderness. Within moments of hitting the trail, the hum of traffic fades and you begin to ascend through corridors of aspen while snow-capped peaks loom on the horizon. The weight of your pack is satisfying and the promise of a night under the stars melts away trivial worries. Time passes elegantly, dictated by the drifting sun rather than an unrelenting clock. A warm sleeping bag, a tent with a view and a friendly dog—what more do you need? This is why you live in Colorado.
Drive a bit farther and you can spend a night at a natural 11,000-foot hot spring, sleep atop a 14er, squeeze through a slot canyon or camp by pristine alpine lakes with mountains of adventure nearby. One or two nights out can make a weekend feel like a rejuvenating vacation. Elevation Outdoors presents nine of our favorite weekend getaways, each guaranteed to recharge your mountain spirit.
—James Dziezynski
across the divide
The Trip This 35-mile loop up and over the Continental Divide and back again gives a taste of all that Rocky Mountain National Park has to offer. On your first day, you’ll climb Flattop Mountain, cross the Divide, wander through tundra and walk through lush forest alongside rushing streams. Enjoy breathtaking vistas as you climb back up via the North Inlet Trail and cross the Divide again. Still have energy to burn? Bag the nearby summit of Hallett Peak (12,713 feet) as a bonus before heading home. If not, just enjoy a well-earned downhill tromp as you make your way back to Bear Lake.
Highlights Opportunities abound to watch and photograph wildlife like moose and elk. Magnificent wildflower displays in summer.
Logistics Allow three nights to enjoy the loop.
More Info Rocky Mountain National Park nps.gov/romo/index.htm; Colorado Wilderness Rides & Guides coloradowildernessridesandguides.com
—Chris Kassar
mummy mania
The Trip For a truly wild experience that will push your limits, head to the Mummy Range on the north edge of Rocky Mountain NP. This epic journey begins on a well-trodden path, but quickly heads off trail as you cruise toward the top of Mt. Chapin—the first of many mountain summits you’ll enjoy over the next couple days. Large amounts of cross-country travel, class 3 scrambling and an elevation gain of about 6,000 feet, make this challenging 16-18 mile adventure even tougher. But, the solitude and the scenery make this ass-kicker all worth it.
Highlights Solitude—a rare treat that doesn’t come easily this close to the Front Range. And bragging rights for successfully scaling six (or maybe eight, if you’re ambitious) rarely visited peaks—seven that soar over 13,000 feet.
Logistics This trip works best as a one-way traverse, so arrange a shuttle or park a car at the Lawn Lake trailhead and begin your hike further up Old Fall River Road at the Chapin Pass Trailhead (11,020 feet). Get an early start the first day and tackle the first four peaks (Chapin (12,454 feet), Chiquita (13,069 feet), Ypsilon (13,514 feet) and Fairchild (13,502 feet). Call it a night and camp above Lawn Lake so you’re ready to crank on the next two (or four) peaks. After you tap the top of Hagues (13,560 feet), you have a decision to make. You can climb Rowe Peak (13,400 feet) and Rowe Mountain (13,184 feet) as a bonus or just head straight to Mummy (13,425 feet) and call it good. From the summit of Mummy, let gravity do the work as you navigate down to eventually link up with the Black Canyon Trail that leads to the Lawn Lake Trail.
Logitics Most of this hike is above tree line so hike early in the day to avoid thunderstorms.
More Info Rocky Mountain National Park nps.gov/romo/index.htm; Colorado Wilderness Rides & Guides coloradowildernessridesandguides.com
—C.K.
gore creek frisco to vail
The Trip Starting from the Meadow Creek Trailhead in Frisco, this gorgeous trail explores the eastern reaches of the Gore Range. It’s just 12.3 miles point to point but there are many, many options to add to your adventure.
Highlights After a colorful, aspen-heavy start, ascend above treeline over Eccles Pass. From here you have a host of great class 2 and 3 (or harder, if you like) routes up nearby peaks including: Deming Mountain (12,902 feet), Red Peak (13,189 feet), Eccles Peak (12,313 feet) and Buffalo Mountain (12,777 feet). Camping in the open meadows and plentiful alpine lakes north of Eccles Pass is divine. Continue over Red Buffalo Pass and drop down to Gore Creek. From here, you can detour up to Gore Lake while passing the ramshackle graves of early settlers en route. Divert up to Deluge Lake for a second night, which tacks on 4 miles (one-way) to your route but puts you in the shadow of the impressive Grand Traverse cirque of peaks.
Logistics You’ll need two vehicles, one at the Meadow Creek Trailhead (located 2 minutes off I-70 in Frisco) and the other at the Deluge Lake Trailhead in Vail. No permits are required.
More Info Arapahoe National Forest Ranger District: fs.fed.us/arnf/districts/ccrd/
—J.D.
mica lake basin steamboat springs
The Trip For some reason most people overlook the Zirkel Wilderness, located just outside of Steamboat Springs, but the Park Range makes for excellent backpacking. Here clear rivers connect sparkling alpine lakes and the landscape is alive with wildflowers, aspen and willows. Backpacking options are easy to find and campsites are stunning.
Highlights From the Slavonia Trailhead, there are several great areas to explore. Just 3.7 miles hiking in along the Mica Lake Trail brings you to Mica Lake, a 10,428-foot basin that is great for swimming or floating on your Thermarest. There are excellent scrambles to the “Agnes Family” of peaks, including matriarch Big Agnes (12,059 feet), Medium Agnes and two officially named Little Agneses. Gilpin Lake is roughly the same distance away and offers more lake camping. The highest point in the Park Range, 12,180-foot Mount Zirkel can be reached along the Red Dirt Pass trail. If you go this route, it’s 8.5 miles one-way to ideal camping at the Slavonia Mine ruins at the foot of Zirkel, though beware of the brutal mosquitoes in summer.
Logistics No special permits needed. Weekend adventures are best done as an out-and-back from Slavonia Trailhead.
More Info South Park Ranger District fs.usda.gov/goto/psicc/sopk
—J.D.
tarryall mountains
The Trip Nearby but seldom visited, the Tarryall Mountains are part of Colorado’s epic Lost Creek Wilderness. A one- or two-day overnight starts at the Ute Creek Trailhead, about 17 miles from the small town of Jefferson off of US Hwy 285. There are plenty of options and established trails for good backpacking loops. Link up with Kenosha Pass
for longer adventures.
Highlights The amazing rock towers decorating Bison Peak (and to a lesser extent, nearby McCurdy Mountain) have to be seen to be believed—imagine transporting the monolithic sculptures from Moab and planting them atop an alpine plateau rich with wildflowers. The relatively dry peaks top out around 12,000 feet. and lead down beautiful basins where the namesake Lost Creek appears and disappears as it alternately flows above and below ground. Much of the land here is pristine wilderness and wildlife enthusiasts can expect to see a range of critters. A full tour of the Brookside-McCurdy Trail (32 miles one way) offers a fantastic point-to-point weekend backpack.
Logistics A free permit is required for overnight stays in the Lost Creek Wilderness area. A good two-car shuttle set-up is to leave one vehicle atop Kenosha Pass and one at Ute Creek. Some trailheads have modest parking fees, from $3–$5.
More Info South Platte Ranger District fs.usda.gov/goto/psicc/sopl
—J.D.
la plata peak
The Trip The fifth highest peak in Colorado, La Plata (14,336 feet) is one of the few where the trailhead is accessible by paved road and offers a unique mountaineering treat. Hike up the gentle grade and shaded trail to treeline at the toe of the northern ridge coming straight off of La Plata Peak. Break from the trail and pick your way up the boulder field to 11,800’ and find a cozy grassy camp. From here. enjoy a leisurely morning before heading straight up the ridge to tag the peak and come back.
Highlights If you’re looking for a full on mountaineering challenge, get up early and cross the gully east to Ellingwood Ridge. You can climb Ellingwood Ridge to La Plata peak and take the trail down or vise-versa or do the ridge both ways. This class 3–5 scramble always takes longer than you expect. Helmets and climbing gear are strongly recommended to save having to go back and reroute when you encounter a small cliff.
Logistics Start at the Lake Creek Trailhead along CO82 and plan on staying one or two nights between June and September.
More Info summitpost.org/la-plata-peak/150371
—Cameron Martindell
conundrum hot springs
The Trip Located in the stunning Maroon Bells – Snowmass Wilderness, this 18-mile out and back brings you to one of Colorado’s magical places, the all-natural Conundrum Hot Springs. With two main pools, one between 95–102 degrees and a lower pool about 80 degrees, this incredible retreat is a must-see and must-soak.
Highlights Even without the hot springs, this hike is a worthy adventure. Vast aspen forests line the valley and towering mountains that reach over 14,265-foot in elevation kiss the sky. The springs themselves offer 16 designated campsites, with overflow camping within a half mile of the pools (it can get crowded on summer weekends). Note that dogs are allowed at the camp area but not in the springs.
Logistics Passenger cars can make it to the trailhead along dirt roads, just watch out for crowds at the height of the season. It is possible to climb the 14,265 foot summit of Castle Peak (and nearby sub-peak 14,022-foot Conundrum) though it’s not the standard route and has a lot of loose, rocky class 2 terrain. Triangle Pass is a nice day hike or if you have more time to backpack, follow the pack trail to East Maroon Pass and out to the town of Gothic near Crested Butte.
More Info Aspen Ranger District fs.usda.gov/detail/whiteriver
—J.D.
great sand dunes national park
The Trip Colorado is known for its big peaks and mighty rivers, but one of its best-kept secrets is Great Sand Dunes National Park & Preserve—home to the tallest dunes in North America. Exploring this park on foot affords the experience of a lifetime; you’ll hoof it over an ever-changing alien landscape where sand, forests and the snow-capped Sangre de Cristo Mountains collide.
Highlights Tromping through this park comes with huge perks: walking barefoot in warm sand, unmatched stargazing and the chance to scale 750-foot Star Dune, the tallest in North America.
Logistics: This out-and-back hike covers 18 miles total and can be done in two or three nights. Walking on sand requires more effort than expected so allow for extra time. Park at the Point of No Return Trailhead and strike out across the sand heading north along Medano Creek. Hike 5.7 miles and spend the night at Aspen Camp, the highest backcountry site in the park, which offers spectacular views of the dune field. Continue along the Sand Ramp Trail, a marked route that skirts the transition zone between the mountains and sand until you reach camp at Cold Creek (3.2 miles from Aspen), a spot nestled in a valley full of ponderosa pines. Keep your eyes peeled for elk, deer, bear and mountain lion. Head back to your car the way you came, making a slight detour to climb Star Dune.
More info: Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve nps.gov/grsa/index.htm
—C.K.
coyote gulch, utah
The Trip Hole-in-the-Rock Road near Escalante, Utah, offers a number of canyons to explore for days on end. The scenery changes fast as you descend from the exposed trailhead down to the dry river bed and on into the gulch. Suddenly you’re deep in the sandstone slot wandering through shafts of penetrating sunlight, amongst lush foliage and spotting the occasional natural rock arch, waterfall and archaeological site. Comfortable camping can be found under the protection of massive overhangs carved out by centuries of water flow. Once you’re far enough along the creek will be wet and you’ll be crossing it more times than you care to count. (While it’s not impossible to make it down and back with dry feet, it’s rather improbable.) Take time to hang and dry your boots each night and brave a fully immersive dip in the cool Escalante River when you get there.
Logistics Coyote Gulch is 13 miles of easy walking each way so plan on two or three nights out. Water is available year-round. Start from Red Well Trail Head, 31.5 miles down Hole-in-the-Rock Road from Hwy 12.
More Info Check on permits and conditions with NPS nps.gov/glca
—C.M.
Map This!
Head to ElevationOutdoors.com for detailed topo maps of each one of these hikes. If you are planning to go, you can simply click on the map and either download a GPS version to your device through Trimble Outdoors and/or purchase a full-size waterproof MyTopo map (which can be sent overnight) with the route and GPS waypoints marked.
