Leadville, Colorado

From Crested Butte, continue 6 miles past the town of Gothic to Rustler's Gulch Road. Turn right on the road, cross the East River to get to a small parking area near the river. If you don't have 4WD, park here and hike another 1/2 mile to the trailhead. It's a pretty steep hike. If you do have 4...

Its sister trail, Butler Gulch, is an all-time favorite hike (both summer and winter), and since they share a trailhead, I knew Jones Pass would be special as well.Jones Pass is not the type of trail I normally take, since it is actually a 4x4 road that is used for Jeeping in the summer and snowm...

Day 1: Park at the Payne Creek/Brookside Trailhead (8,040 ft.) right outside Bailey. You'll go on the trail for about a mile before the trail parts to Craig Meadows or Craig Park. If you start this in the nighttime, it's best to camp before you part ways on the trail as it's a little more spaciou...

September is famous in Colorado for clear, deep blue skies,sublimely perfect temperatures, and gold-digging – of the leaf variety, thatis. On September 9, wildflower season was recently past and the best of theleaves were yet to come, but it was the perfect, clear and sunny day to checkout the hi...

We began our hike at the beginning of the afternoon after about two-three hours driving up the 14 mile road. The first mile of the trail was mild, turning into an uphill adventure. Lots of switchbacks, winding paths, and some tree coverage. By mile 2, we were on a steep grade the rest of the way....

With the Elk Mountain range behind it, It appears to be standing by itself, and has the resemblance of a grand volcano.From Hwy 133 out of Carbondale, turn down Prince Creek Road and drive 6 miles to the trailhead. The trail is a nice mixture of meadows and woods, with excellent views of the vall...

Start out on the Shavano and Tabeguache Trailhead off of FR 252 outside of Poncha Springs, at about 9,700 feet, and begin your trek into the forest. In the first half of a mile there are a few trail marker signs that should be read carefully to insure the right path is followed, but these signs ...

From the parking lot, stay to the right of Echo Lake and you will run into the Chicago Lakes Trailhead. Follow the switchbacks down and across Chicago Creek. After crossing the creek, follow the sign indicating that the trail follows the dirt road and hang a left; from here, you'll reach the Idah...

While the Mt. Evans Wilderness never has a shortage of visitors, thanks to its proximity to Denver, it is possible to find a more private hike if you know where to look. Lincoln Lake Trail, accessible from Echo Lake year-round, is not as glamorous as its sister trail, Chicago Lakes, but is a wond...

The drive to the start of the trail is okay, having a high clearance vehicle would make the drive easier, but is not necessary.  Free parking is available along the side of the road.The trail starts on a closed service road at a gate and requires you to either hike or bike up the dirt road (2 mil...

Take I-70 from Denver and then US 40, go all the way to Mile marker 240 of US 40 and park in the area at the side of the road. The Second Creek trail head is just behind the parking area and is easy to find.The trail climbs from a start at 10,600ft and finishes up at 11,325ft at the hut, but you ...

The total distance of the loop is a little under 25 miles and you will climb a total of 7202 feet. It can be done as a 3 day backpacking trip as shown below.The LoopDay 1: After Parking in the trail head's parking lot, which fills up quickly on weekends, start down the trail after signing your pe...

Lost Creek Wilderness may be my favorite part of Colorado.  It contains varied terrain and geography, and is less crowded than most places.  This loop will take you through everything the wilderness area has to offer.  You will get sweeping panoramas of mountain ranges to the south, as well has m...