South Platte River

The Colorado Trail is Colorado’s premier long distance trail. It runs nearly 500 miles from Denver to Durango, and travels through the Colorado Rocky Mountains – passing lakes, creeks and diverse ecosystems in the process. Trail users experience six wilderness areas and eight mountain ranges topping out at 13,271 feet on the hike. The route ascends and descends dramatically on the Colorado Trail with an average elevation of over 10,300 feet. Hikers that do the entire route will climb 89,354 feet between the end points in Denver and Durango.

This is a short backtrack hike on a portion of the Colorado Trail that climbs 5.2 from the South Platte River (~6000′) to a ridge line and rock outcrop (~7300′). There are excellent views from the ridge to the West and to the river and valley floor below.