BACKPACKING TRAILS THROUGH THE COLORADO ROCKY MOUNTAINS
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Map reading by backpackers near a high-mountain lake - Denise Chambers/Weaver Mutlimedia Group
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Information on
Colorado Trail Segment 1
Colorado Trail Segment 8
Barr Trail
Arapaho Glacier Trail
Good to Know Before You Go
About the Colorado Trail
More Information
Colorado Trail Segment 1
Route: Waterton Canyon to South Platte River
Distance: 16.5 Miles/26.5 Kilometers (one way)
Difficulty: Moderate
Recommended Season: Spring, Summer, Fall
Nearest Town: Littleton
Find it: From Denver, go south on Wadsworth Boulevard past Chatfield State Park. Turn left on Waterton Road (just before the entrance to Lockheed Martin) and park there.
About the Trail: This is a moderate and very scenic route near Denver. A good warm-up, the first six miles climb gradually along a dirt road then turn into rolling and climbing singletrack trail. Be on the lookout for mountain bikers, as the trial is popular with fat-tire riders. Bighorn sheep, elk, mule deer and other animals can often be seen.
To Consider: If you’ve got the time, explore part of the Colorado Trail’s second section, which leads from Kenosha Pass to Camp Hale. Camp Hale was the training ground for the 10th Mountain Division, an elite World War II high-mountain fighting force.
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Colorado Trail Segment 8
Route: Copper Mountain to Tennessee Pass
Distance: 24.33 Miles/39 Kilometers (one way)
Difficulty: Difficult
Recommended Season: Spring, Summer
Nearest Town: Frisco
Find it: Trailhead starts under the Eagle Lift at Copper Mountain Ski Resort. Copper Mountain is located near the Junction of I-70 and CO Hwy. 91.
About the Trail: Head up through Copper's cross-country ski trails, past Janet's Cabin (a backcountry hut that you can reserve through www.huts.org) and over two passes. Atop the passes, look down at placid and island-dotted Lake Dillon. Smaller, man-made settling ponds near Climax and Leadville are also seen; each harkens to the time when the towns were prolific mining communities.
To Consider: During winter, cross-country ski parts of the same route for a different take on a scenic hike.
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Barr Trail
Route: Manitou Springs to the summit of Pikes Peak
Distance: 13 Miles/21 Kilometers (one way)
Difficulty: Difficult
Recommended Season: Summer, Spring, Fall
Nearest Town: Manitou Springs
Find it: The trailhead is just off Ruxton Avenue in Manitou Springs. Look for it above the Pikes Peak Cog Railroad Depot. Once in Manitou Springs, turn left onto Ruxton Avenue. Drive past the Pikes Peak Cog Railway Depot and turn into the parking lot marked for Barr Trail.
About the Trail: Barr Trail, while exceedingly popular with backpackers, is not a beginner course. The trail itself is almost a constant incline. However, hikers and backpackers with enough stamina will be handsomely rewarded with scenic vistas, ample wildlife and the bragging rights of having bagged a “14er” (a mountain measuring more than 14,000 feet/4,267 meters in elevation). The trail passes through three ecological life zones: montane, spruce-fir and alpine. Wildlife species are plentiful and frequently seen while hiking this route. Common animals include bighorn sheep, mountain goats elk and smaller mammals like pika and marmots.
To Consider: Take the Pikes Peak Cog Railway to the top of the mountain and hike down.
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Arapaho Glacier Trail
Route: Arapaho Glacier Trailhead to Fourth of July Mine
Distance: 7.8 Miles/12.5 Kilometers (one way)
Difficulty: Moderate
Recommended Season: Spring, Summer
Nearest Town: Nederland
Find it: From Nederland, drive south on CO Hwy. 119 for .5 miles. Turn west onto County Rd. 130 at the sign for Eldora Ski Area. Continue straight until you reach the Fourth of July trailhead.
About the Trail: The trail cuts through lush evergreen forests during the first two miles, along a moderate incline. Soon thereafter, trees give way to fragile tundra. A few more miles in, backpackers find the trail’s highest elevation of 12,700 feet at the Arapaho Glacier Overlook. Views include the ever-prominent Arapaho Glacier and two mountain peaks, South Arapaho (13,397 feet) and North Arapaho (13,502 feet). The trail then quickly descends 1,200 feet, terminating at the junction of Arapaho Glacier Trail and Arapaho Pass Trail near the Fourth of July Mine.
To Consider: If you just don’t have the energy to finish the trail, shave off 1.8 miles of the hike by stopping at Arapaho Glacier Overlook, located 6 miles in.
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Good to Know Before You Go
- Be sure to check weather conditions before leaving.
- Let at least two people know where you will be and when you will return.
- Pack a current, up-to-date map of the area in which you will be backpacking.
- Bring water and water purification tablets or filters.
- Colorado’s weather can change quickly, so pack for thunderstorms, even in summer.
- Obtain any and all permits required for use of a particular area. Contact the area’s governing entity for more information.
- Follow all rules and regulations.
- Leave no trace. Pack out everything you pack in.
- Have fun!
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About the Colorado Trail
The Colorado Trail stretches 500 miles from Denver to Durango. It’s a pathway for hikers who want to travel the majority of the state on foot, passing over mountains, around lakes and into a number of Colorado communities.
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More information
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Updated: 09/11/2008
