Montezuma, Colorado

The Colorado Trail (CT) runs for 483 miles from Denver to Durango, crossing through eight mountain ranges and passing through six wilderness areas. There are great resources on completing a thru-hike of the CT; this post is about Segments 8-9 of the CT from Copper Mountain to Tennessee Pass.These...

Start from the McCullough gulch trailhead. If possible it would be worth having 2 cars and leaving one at the main McCullough trailhead so you don't have to walk the road on your way down. Bushwack through trees and willows up the ridge directly to the north of the trailhead. You might be lucky a...

Once you turn off of Colorado hwy 9 onto dirt, your GPS will lead you to a gravel lot. At the end of that lot there's a pretty steep gravel road that heads NNW (GPS coords:  39°25'43.01"N 106° 4'11.30"W | Map Link if you want to plug that into your GPS for parking). From this lot you'll walk up t...

The trail first takes you to Upper Blue Reservoir, about 1.4 miles in. Past this point, it can be somewhat tricky to find the trail, but for experienced hikers, the upper valley holds a number of lakes, a waterfall, and open tundra for exploring. Mountain goat sightings are also common in this ar...

Broome Hut is a short, but steep all year-round hike, but offers great snowshoeing and cross-country skiing as well.Once you reach the hut you are rewarded with incredible views of the Continental Divide, Berthoud Pass, and the Vasquez Peak Wilderness. The Cirque (bowl) is also accessible from ab...

This hike begins at Second Creek Trailhead off of US Highway 40. It's pretty steep right off the bar gaining about 800ft of elevation in the first mile. This first mile takes you to Broome Hut, which has a bathroom and is a great place to stop and take a break. Keep in mind that there are no dogs...

Quandary Peak via Blue Lakes is an out-and-back trail where you may see beautiful wildflowers located near Blue River, Colorado.

Starting from the Rock Creek Trailhead parking lot, it is an up and down trek to Upper Slate Lake. The trail map states 10 miles each way, but accounting for switchbacks it ends up being closer to 14 long, hard miles. You will be among aspens and pines for the first half as you have a few modera...

From the west parking lot at the top of Hoosier Pass, take the 4x4 road as it climbs through a forest west of the pass. Before long, the trees thin and you'll stay on the road through treeline and reach a gate at just over 12,000 feet.Stay right at the gate and continue on this old mining road as...

Getting to the Mayflower Gulch is pretty easy. In the summer months, if you have a high clearance 4WD vehicle, you can drive up to the Boston Mine. This will take 2-miles each way off your hike.  If you're looking to stretch your legs, start your hike at the Mayflower Gulch Trailhead off of High...

To begin, park in the large parking lot. In the winter months, it is usually plowed except right after a large storm. The parking lot can be reached via highway 91, approximately 6 miles south of Copper Mountain and will be on the east (left if coming from the north) side of the road. Begin up th...

Located in the Arapaho National Forest near Idaho Springs, Chinns Lake is a high-elevation alpine destination known for its peaceful mountain setting, dispersed camping, fishing, and stunning lake views. Accessible via a rugged 4WD road, this hidden gem offers a true Colorado backcountry experien...

This spot may be a little more difficult to reach than others, but the payoff is worth it. You'll start by taking a dirt road that splits off from Fall River Road. It is pretty easy going for the first mile or so, but then you'll want to make sure you have a little higher clearance 4x4 vehicle to...

When you start the hike to Loch Lomond, you'll have a few options for parking. The further up the road you go the trickier it's going to be to get back out. I parked at the bottom of the road and hiked my way up. The first mile or two is mostly elevation gain and to be quite honest I thought I wa...

Getting There From Denver, go W on I-70 and take exit 238 for Fall River Rd. Continue on this road before taking a left on Alice Rd. Continue on Alice Rd. until you see the right hand turn for Steuart Rd. This is where you park. Do not attempt this road in a AWD or 2WD you definitely need a good ...

Sitting at 11,709’, Chief Mountain is not one of Colorado’s highest peaks, but the views from this mountain are spectacular nonetheless and rival the views of any 14er I’ve climbed. This mountain sits along Squaw Pass Road so you get the luxury of a high trailhead for this peak. To get there, fo...