Pitkin County, Colorado

Looking for the best hiking in Pitkin County? We've got you covered with the top trails, trips, hiking, backpacking, camping and more around Pitkin County. The detailed guides, photos, and reviews are all submitted by the Outbound community.

Top Hiking Spots in and near Pitkin County

  • Leadville, Colorado

    Decalibron Loop (CLOSED)

    4.8
    7.5 mi / 3000 ft gain
    NOTE: As of March 2023, access to parts of this loop that are on private property (including Mt. Democrat & Mt. Lincoln) are closed to the public indefinitely. (Source) Start your hike at the Kite Lake trailhead, where you can find overnight camping for a small fee, or park a bit down the ro...
    Read more
  • Leadville, Colorado

    Mt. Democrat (CLOSED)

    4.8
    4 mi / 2150 ft gain
    NOTE: As of March 2023, access to parts of this loop that are on private property (including Mt. Democrat & Mt. Lincoln) are closed to the public indefinitely. (Source) To begin this wonderful hike, drive from the town of Alma, Colorado and head up Buckskin Street for about 6 miles. I would ...
    Read more
  • Leadville, Colorado

    Mounts Democrat, Lincoln, Cameron and Bross (CLOSED)

    4.0
    8 mi / 3500 ft gain
    NOTE: As of March 2023, access to parts of this loop that are on private property (including Mt. Democrat & Mt. Lincoln) are closed to the public indefinitely. (Source) Find your way to the Kite Lake trailhead near Alma, Colorado. The road up to the trailhead is suitable for most vehicles, i...
    Read more
  • Leadville, Colorado

    Camp at Kite Lake

    5.0
    Kite Lake is a beautiful little lake that is surrounded plenty of fourteeners. Just outside of Alma, Colorado, Kite lake can be accessed from Buckskin Street. Buckskin is a simple left turn after the only bar in Alma, or a right turn before the only bar in Alma... Do note, this road is not drivab...
    Read more
  • Frisco, Colorado

    Hike to Mayflower Gulch

    4.7
    4 mi / 1000 ft gain
    Getting to the Mayflower Gulch is pretty easy, you can either hike an easy 2 mile forest road or drive all the way to end (you need decent clearance for the drive). At the end of the hike you are greeted with a stunning view of the Old Boston mining site. During the summer, wildflowers are abunda...
    Read more
  • Vail, Colorado

    Sunset Hike on the West Vail Trail

    3.0
    2 mi / 300 ft gain
    Starting in Lionshead, Vail, CO take the Gondola 19 up to the top of the mountain and head west straight out past Chair 26 and towards the Vail Mountain Wedding deck. Past the deck there will be a trail that you can follow out onto the edge of the mountain called the W Vail Trail. This trail will...
    Read more
  • Vail, Colorado

    Hike the Upper Piney River Trail

    4.0
    5.6 mi / 350 ft gain
    Beginning at an elevation of 9,397 feet, this hike provides an easy 2.8 mile (one way) trip through the gorgeous meadows against the distant aspens and alpines. Wildflowers and wildlife are abundant, which make this trip a fantastic education and play experience for kids.Coordinates for the trail...
    Read more
  • Summit County, Colorado

    Hike to Crystal Peak

    5.0
    8.6 mi / 2482 ft gain
    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...
    Read more
  • Frisco, Colorado

    Backpack the Colorado Trail: Copper Mountain to Hagerman Pass

    39 mi
    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...
    Read more
  • Breckenridge, Colorado

    Winter Climb of North Star Mountain

    4.0
    8 mi / 2400 ft gain
    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...
    Read more
  • Breckenridge, Colorado

    Hike McCullough Gulch to Upper Blue Reservoir

    5.0
    2.8 mi / 910 ft gain
    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...
    Read more
  • Parlin, Colorado

    Roosevelt Mine

    5.0
    1.5 mi
    Abandoned in 1919, Roosevelt Mine is a lost treasure of Gunnison County, Colorado. Exactly three miles outside the tiny town of Ohio City is the unmarked trailhead on the side of a road pull off for Roosevelt the mine. The trail is otherwise well established and easy to follow. The trail is a lit...
    Read more
  • Vail, Colorado

    Hike to Booth Falls and Booth Lake, CO

    5.0
    10 mi / 3000 ft gain
    This day hike begins as a steady climb through aspen trees for the first mile. The trail then flattens out a bit, and you reach Booth Falls at mile two. This is a beautiful 60 ft waterfall that allows for easy rock climbing and hiking through the stream upstream of the falls. This is also a popul...
    Read more
  • Breckenridge, Colorado

    Hike the East Ridge of Pacific Peak

    5.0
    8 mi / 3500 ft gain
    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...
    Read more
  • Breckenridge, Colorado

    Winter Hike to Quandary Peak (14,265')

    4.6
    7 mi / 3500 ft gain
    Quandary Peak is a popular winter 14er because of its easy access near Breckenridge, its Class 1 designation, and its low avalanche risk. While the access roads to many 14ers are closed in winter, adding extra mileage to an already grueling hike, Quandary Peak’s access is just off Hwy. 9, and the...
    Read more
  • Breckenridge, Colorado

    Ski or Snowshoe McCullough Gulch

    5.0
    6 mi / 1300 ft gain
    If the snow is not coming to you, you go where the snow is. Breckenridge is a good place to start; this beautiful ski area gets more than its fair share of snow, and is full of stunning trails. Why pay big bucks at one of the Nordic centers, when you can access acres and acres of the White River ...
    Read more