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Gray's Peak

4.8 (12 reviews)

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Janet D.

Activity Type: Hiking Nearby City: Georgetown Length: 9 total miles Elevation Gain: 3,640 feet Trail Type: Out-and-back Skill Level: Generally well marked and easy to follow. Duration: 7 hours Season: Midsummer through mid-fall. The higher parts of the trail are usually covered with snow from November through mid-July Local Contacts:Mount Evans Wilderness Area, Arapaho National Forest Grays and Torreys Peaks are the two highest points on the Continental Divide. Torreys at 14,270 was named after John Torrey, an early nineteenth-century botanist who is best remembered for his work in classifying North American flora. Grays Peak at 14,270 was named in recognition of Asa Gray, also a well known botanist in the mid 1800s, whose research on variations in plant species provided important evidence in support of Charles Darwin's Theory of Evolution. The Grays Peak Trail has recently been designated as a National Recreational Trail, and it is one of the best maintained of any of the fourteener trails. The trail approaches the peak through a gorgeous glacial valley. The valley ends at the foot of the Continental Divide below the saddle connecting Grays Peak with Torreys. We started with Grays which is to the left on your way up. I have seen people with different levels of hiking capability. Most people made it half way. It is a relentless uphill climb. In hindsight I would've done Torreys first although I was advised otherwise. Just because Torreys to me is definitely a bit more than its neighbor Grays. To be recognized as having submitted a peak you must do a 3000 climb or ascend. This climb puts you at 3,640 total ascend. A well maintained trail doesn't mean a walk in the park. It is rocky. Steep and rocky is equals to a problem downhill. Not sure footed? Your friendly hiking pole should come with you. A few areas to stop and take pictures of these two is definitely a must. On the day we came we took our time. Check NOAA before you leave home. Its the best source for weather prediction. I knew a storm wouldn't be coming in at all. The top is a different story. Howling wind and not much of a space when crowded with people pushed us to stay a few minutes only. Enough to get over to Torreys and down. At the bottom where the trail starts you will see a bathroom. Unfortunately I can say this is the worst bathroom I've seen. AND I have seen a lot in the wilderness. Parking. Early bird gets the worms. Figure it out. Happy trails and on to more 14ers for me!

View of Grays Peak from Torreys Peak
Christopher B.

This review is for both Grays and Torreys Peaks. I heard so many people talking about these 14ers and if it weren't for the floods last fall then I would have already done these. Alas, I finally had the chance to try to conquer these. Last week, a park ranger told us there is no such thing as an easy 14er. It's an accomplishment to ascend one in a day but two is really amazing to do! Unlike other reviews, I absolutely wouldn't recommend this one for a first 14er. Go to Bierstadt for that. Several people were on their first ascent and getting their butt kicked. We were there on our way to the trail head at 6:30AM and it still took us nearly 45 minutes to get there because parking was taken and/or the road was only accessible by 4x4 beyond a certain point. We opted to hit Grays Peak first. The ascent was not too bad and the views were absolutely spectacular. I could see why some first timers would attempt this peak. The challenge came with Torreys Peak. It isn't that is was super hard but I think that just getting to Grays Peak takes a lot of out you that you really start feeling it at some point. Again, the views were great but Grays takes the prize out of these two. This hike is 8.35 miles for both peaks and ascends 3,366 feet. It took us exactly 7 hours to the minute trailhead to trailhead. From our car, it was 8 hours 24 minutes. In my opinion, for a first timer, I would definitely do Bierstadt first. That is amazing hike with great views and I think it's a bit easier than either of these and definitely easier than trying to do both of these in a single day.

At the top of Grays Peak!
Adeline G.

The trail was nice, well kept, clean, and it was nice. There was snow and beautiful wild flower and a few animals. This was my first 14er but we hike and are in good shape and my group has been on a few. The trail to Grays Peak took us 2-1/2 hours and we took our time. This trail has an option to do two peaks (for new people means you hike up 1/2 then you see two paths one to Grays and one to Torreys Peak and it makes sense to do both you can make it a loop). We would not bring kids this was a challenge. Took an 1-1/2 hours to get down. One thing to know is you need an experienced driver to get to the base in the summer. You will not make it up if you do not have an all wheeled but should have a jeep, 4wd truck or atv. The drive is hard and scary!! Parking is limited we got there on a Friday morning during the summer at 5:30 and the parking was 75% full. We did it in middle of July and it was 50 degrees when we started 6am it was cool, we wore yoga pants, hiking boots with two pairs of sock (my sister wore her military boots and was great). We had on a tank top, long sleeve shirt, wind breaker, cotton gloves, ear warmer and we were a little cold and we wore the long sleeved shirt the whole trip. It got cold at the top and whenever the wind was up it got chilly (it was a high of 92 in Denver). Worth the hike the view was pretty.

Parking
Iris S.

Gray's Peak has been one of my favorite hikes since moving to Colorado. Accessibility wise, this is one of the more tough 14ers to get to simply because of the road condition and lack of parking up top. I highly recommend a vehicle with a decent amount of clearance, think SUV/pick-up/Jeep. I did see a few sedans make it up but it was definitely tricky and nerve wracking to watch. We camped out on a Friday night, plenty of free spots available, and woke up at 1:30am so that we could begin the hike and get to the peak in time for sunrise. The views were stunning! I didn't have it in me to continue to Torrey's Peak, so I'll have to return some day to complete that one as well. If you ever get the chance, definitely do this 14er at sunrise! You will not regret it!

From the summit
Amanda G.

Ok, so I'm being a little bit of a copy-cat here (gasp...I know!) and copying Dan W. in reviewing a 14er. But I had to. I just had to. Gray's was my first fourteener of the summer and a fabulous way to start. I would recommend this mountain to anyone who is a 14er "virgin" and looking for their first mountain to climb. It has a wide and very well-worn trail much of the way to the top, so much so that E refers to it as the "I-70 of 14er trails." It gains about 3000 feet of elevation in 3 and 1/2 miles, pretty standard for a 14er trail, and very doable even if you aren't even remotely in shape (like I was) and do okay with the elevation. It was the second 14er out of three total that I've summitted - it was by far my favorite hike, although I have to say that the view from Yale has yet to be surpassed, even by Gray's. Still, the view from the top is beyond words. It made me cry...no seriously, it made me cry. After hours of hiking (being out-of-shape, it took me longer than I would have liked) in bad weather, the rewarding view was enough to stir up my volatile woman hormones and open the flood gates. It made E a little uncomfortable... This is an awesome trail for doggies who are up to the task...both Champ and Aspen took part in this summit, and there were MANY other dogs on the trail, kind of like a nomadic dog park. Aspen delighted in sniffing and stalking pikas (little rodents that sound like squeaky toys so OBVIOUSLY he's interested) and rolling in the snow fields that were hanging on even in August. He got lots of compliments on his dog booties too, which prevent him from rubbing his feet raw. A great hike. A beautiful view. And another 14er you can cross off your list. Isn't life in Colorado grand?

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Review Highlights - Gray's Peak

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Squaw Mountain

Squaw Mountain

4.8(4 reviews)
17.8 mi

Beautiful hike today. Never been here but I have a webcam link to see the summit. So when I saw a…read morecloud inversion, I came as fast as I could! The "trail" is really just a dirt service road, in good shape though. You can drive up a bit more to the gun range, my highlander was ok but really low cars might have issues. The trailhead is a bit loud with the gun range. The .22s are one thing and only moderately freak my dog out. Some folks bring large caliber weapons and those can take away from the scenic value a bit. You can hear them from the fire tower too. The hike is uphill but never very steep. However it's a bit unrelenting, and you can skid on the loose dirt. It's only a long straight way then two switchbacks, and you're there. Not too many views except at the summit cone. The last few hundred yards are well constructed rock steps. Then you're at the fire tower! Views abound in every direction. The tower was occupied but you can still wander the base. There's a lot of communication things, which was funny to me since you have no service the whole hike. It took me around half an hour to climb to the top. There's some fun rock scrambles around as well if you're up for that. Overall, a pretty basic hike with a great payoff! I think it would be awesome for a sunset or sunrise.

"We have ways of getting you to the summit," said my high school pal with a smile and wink, who…read moreinsisted it was an easy, 2-hr hike up Chief Mountain. Bad News: Chief Mountain was closed on Memorial Day because of too much snow. Good News: We didn't know it until after we thought we'd hiked to the top. "Damn, the trail head must be here somewhere,"....."hmmm, ah...the hell with it. Let's just bushwack this and go straight up." And, we did. My high school pal and two other intrepid Boulder locals revealed to me that it had been 5 years since they'd done this "hike," and they couldn't exactly remember where trail head was located. The consensus of the group: start climbing. OY! It was steep, even traversing. My Chicago wind and stamina didn't fail me, but oh, boy, did I ever feel it. I wasn't gasping but I was ... well.....sucking wind big time. It was beautiful, too. There wasn't a cloud in the sky. There were birds everywhere. I saw a Blackbird, a Cormorant, an Oriole, a handful of crows, doves, ducks, geese, hawks, a grouse, a Great Blue Heron, a hummingbird, a mountain pelican and a woodpecker. We saw jackrabbits, squirrels, deer, scampering pikas, two wily foxes, and we were pretty sure we saw elk in the distance. The skunk: meant to be smelled and not seen. There were running streams and snow drifts. There was a hearty breeze that dried my sweat, which became profuse toward the top as we covered a jagged boulder field on all fours. The Summit: 11,800. Views of the front range, Mt. Evans, Pikes Peak, and the plains. Perfection and supreme exhaustion. We ate p&j sandwiches, and oranges. We took pictures and relaxed. We marveled at how simple, cleansing, and energizing a thrill knocking yourself out can be. We were exhausted. We chose to walk down the fire road we found off the back of the summit. We walked down a bit and saw the sign: "Squaw Mountain, Summit: 11,800." Ha! We weren't even on Chief Mountain and my local pals didn't even know it. If you want to walk up the back fire roads rather than macho out like we did, here's where to find the SQUAW MOUNTAIN trail head location: From the intersection of CO-74 (Evergreen Parkway) and CO-103 (Squaw Pass Road), go west for approximately 12 miles. Just after you pass the turnoff to Echo Mountain Ski Area, there is a dirt road on the left side of the main road. Park here or, if the parking area is filled, continue up the hill and park at the intersection with the old Squaw Pass road. You will have to hike back down the old Squaw Pass road to meet the other road. Got that?

Photos
Squaw Mountain - Looking South from Squaw summit. Pike Peak in bachground

Looking South from Squaw summit. Pike Peak in bachground

Squaw Mountain - Squaw Mtn May 31, 2010 - Almost to the top and sucking wind.

Squaw Mtn May 31, 2010 - Almost to the top and sucking wind.

Squaw Mountain - Looking West from Squaw Mtn Summit

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Looking West from Squaw Mtn Summit

Mt. Evans Wilderness

Mt. Evans Wilderness

4.8(34 reviews)
17.8 mi

A friend of mine had told me about this place and said we should give it a visit when in Colorado…read more We tried to do that the last time we were there, but it had already closed for the season. This trip, we were a week or so earlier, so we decided to try again. Fortunately, most of the area was still open. Only the very top was closed. Timed entry passes are required here, just like in many of the National Parks. I'm glad one of our group thought to get it. After a very nice drive up from Idaho Springs, we showed our permit and headed up. Part of the fun of this trip is that it's the highest paved road in North America (14,264 ft). We made it all the way up to one of the alpine lakes, and it was cold. I'm glad we were prepared for the cold and wind. We didn't see any wildlife at the lake, but we did see some on the way up. The area is full of deer, big horn sheep, and mountain goats, and we got to see 2 of the 3. Will I return? Definitely. However, if you want to see it all, you better go in the summer.

Beautiful. Loved this hike…read more Come early. parking lot may fill up. We arrive at 6 am on monday 6/27/2021. summit lake lot was around half full. There are bathrooms available at the lot for use. Bring $5 cash to pay to park when you arrive. there is an envelope to fill out over near the bathroom for parking. Take the trail that doesn't go down close to the lake and then you will hang a left. There is some signage before you really start to incline. the elevation gain from the parking lot to mount spaulding was fairly intense. There are a lot of rocks. Would make sure you have good boots for this hike. Once you get up to mount spaulding you will start to DESCEND. the trail up to mount spaulding is relatively well laid out. however after you get down from mount spaulding. Well there is a rock area that is not marked at all. Take a peek at 14ers.com so you can see some pics of where you should go. once you get over the hump and down. Stay around 25 feet down below the ridge and look for the CAIRNS. Rock piles. These will help guide you to where you should be going. Thankfully all trails did pull up for me when we were in the spot that is absolutely not marked. just be prepared for that stretch. From spaulding on up to the summit was a lot of climbing around on rocks. It was fun but be prepared for that. There were not many folks on the actual trail. but once you hit the summit parking lot at the top there will be a fair amount of people up at the summit as a lot of people drive up there. They do have bathrooms at the top, that is actually kind of a nice treat. I really enjoyed this 14er. I would definitely be up for doing this one again.

Photos
Mt. Evans Wilderness
Mt. Evans Wilderness
Mt. Evans Wilderness

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Crater Lakes

Crater Lakes

4.6(8 reviews)
25.9 mi

This is a great trail in summer & winter. Minimum is 7 miles with 1800 ft elevation, slightly…read morelonger to explore around any of the lakes more than the shortest trail provides. It's easy to reach in all seasons: due to the train tunnel, the dirt road to the trailhead is kept well maintained and plowed. Definitely way way more crowded on summer weekends than in winter. Several little waterfalls and tons on wildflowers even in late August made it a rewarding trail along the way, not only payoffs at the lakes. The trail from the lower two lakes to the upper lake is much steeper, but worth the added effort. Just note that when you first reach what you think is the upper lake, it's actually the drainage (albeit also lovely, see my attached photo); you need to go just a bit further over the boulders & through some bushes to reach the final upper cirque.

James Peak Wilderness area is one of my favs close to Denver. That and Indian peaks wilderness…read more Crater lakes is a moderate hike to 5 fantastic lakes that you can hike, camp, backpack, fish at. Last time I was there I saw two amazing Moose...just gorgeous. Area gets insane on the weekends with tons of peoples and dogs. Last three times I have been there I have been in thunder and hails storms after 1 pm. So if you are planning to hike getting off the mountain before might be a good idea. You can also take the more strenuous Heart Lake trail which is also fantastic and if you really want to kick your ass go up to Rogers pass for beautiful vistas. Great parking.

Photos
Crater Lakes
Crater Lakes
Crater Lakes

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Hell's Hole Trail - Saw this beautiful baby near the picnic tables on the way out.

Hell's Hole Trail

4.5(2 reviews)
8.8 mi

This is a great hike not too far outside Denver. I found out about this trail thanks to my "60…read morehikes within 60 miles" book. An aside-- I found that book in Barnes and Noble and impulsively decided to buy it. It's been a fabulous purchase! Some of you CO natives are probably rolling your eyes at me, but I've found a ton of lesser known hikes (as well as some very common ones) thanks to this book-- the most recent of which being Hell's Hole. Hell's Hole trail leads into Mt. Evans Wilderness about 30 min into the hike. About 20 minutes prior to this, there's a little stand where you must self register for a wilderness permit. There is no fee for this, it's basically just a way for the park service to keep track of info. The trailhead is off CO-103 on a pretty obscure road, West Chicago Creek. It gets pretty sketchy towards the end (very narrow road winding up a steep mountain with no guardrails...as long as I live here I'll never understand CO's aversion to guardrails in places like this) but it's well worth it. There's a campground near the trail head as well. The hike itself is a great workout with shade in the beginning and gorgeous views towards the end. Horses and dogs are welcome on the trail; mountain bikes are not permitted. The book I have estimated the total hike time to be 4.5 hours but I was pleasantly surprised to discover it only took me 3 hours, including a 30 min break at the turn around point and a couple photo/water opps. Obviously the hike time will vary for everyone; I guess the important thing to know is that it's 9 miles round trip. Though the hike is relatively long, it's not incredibly difficult. There are definitely some fairly steep portions, but a lot of it is at a relatively gentle incline. It seems like a fairly lightly used trail-- in the whole 3 hours I ran into about 3 other couples. It was really nice to enjoy the solitude, but also somewhat reassuring to know there were people somewhat nearby-- if you're hiking alone, like I was, it's always good to be aware! The trail ends in an open field with a creek nearby. It's around the treeline and you can see a couple fourteeners towering over you in this beautiful post-glacier valley. Definitely an ideal picnic spot! This trail is out-and-back, so once you've had enough of the scenery, it's time to pack it in and do it all over again!

Absolutely beautiful. Fairly populated trail so I wouldn't feel anxious going here alone. Road up…read morethe the trail head may be a bit difficult to find, just google it, the road is a little sketchy but I made it up in my little Toyota Camry just fine.

Photos
Hell's Hole Trail - At the peak of the trail-- and the base of the mountains !

At the peak of the trail-- and the base of the mountains !

Hell's Hole Trail - This trail is the "REAL deal-E-O" insert Coolie lyrics here.  Trail took us 5 hrs and 40 mins.

This trail is the "REAL deal-E-O" insert Coolie lyrics here. Trail took us 5 hrs and 40 mins.

Hell's Hole Trail - Near the end of the trail you will run across beautiful bristle cone pines.

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Near the end of the trail you will run across beautiful bristle cone pines.

Diamond Lake Trail

Diamond Lake Trail

5.0(9 reviews)
25.5 mi

One of the most beautiful hikes we have ever gone on…read more Wildflowers, streams, waterfalls and an amazing lake to top it off. High elevation and quite tough going up but so worth it!! Took us about 4 hours total. Stop in Nederland on the way down for early dinner or lunch. Fantastic day

So effing beautiful. Let's just start there. Like the whole way up. Views of trees and mountainous…read moreviews. My legs hurt and I was dehydrated as shit because my moron friends didn't want to stop for food / water beforehand (big mistake). This wasn't the end of the world though due to the natural streams throughout the trek. Just dip your head in for some of the coolest most refreshing water you have ever tasted. Seriously, it beats the hell out of a bottle of Poland Spring or Fiji or whatever your posh ass is used to. I may retract that statement in a week when I have a tadpole making a nest (or whatever tadpoles do) inside of my stomach but for now ... yeah ... refreshing :) Get there early and have a car that you can beat up a little / SUV since there is about 4 miles of hilly dirt roads to get to the trail-head. I recommend hiking boots but I was fine in sneakers. Definitely take snacks / water and if your friends convince you otherwise just poke them hard in the gut with your hiking poles / stick (yes you probably want these too) until they cave in and stop the car for you. The trail is easy to follow. There is a split after about 1 - 1.5 miles up that has you chose between Apache Trail and Diamond Lake. We went for the lake. You will know you are there. If you miss it, congrats, you will probably be some giant grizzly bear's dinner that night. It was one of the more beautiful hiking sites I have bore witness to. For an added bonus and guys if you don't mind your balls retreating up into your stomach for warmth, take off those shoes and climb onto that rock in the center of the lake for some incredible panorama photos. The area surrounding the lake is great for a nap, a picnic, a read, etc. On our way down we stumbled across a man who sprained his ankle about 2 miles in. As a 9 person bachelor party we helped carry him 2 miles to the bottom. Humanitarian mission of Colorado has been complete, sites have been seen, and headache from altitude sickness is quickly on-setting due to lack of nutrients and H20. Despite hunger and a pounding headache, I definitely want to get back to the area and try a few other trails. Such an amazing escape from my normal city life.

Photos
Diamond Lake Trail - Sunflowers!

Sunflowers!

Diamond Lake Trail
Diamond Lake Trail - Hiking away

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Hiking away

Gray's Peak - hiking - Updated May 2026

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