Chickaree Way Trail

Copper Mountain is a mountain and ski resort located in Summit County, Colorado, about 75 miles west of Denver on Interstate 70. The resort has 2,465 acres of in-bounds terrain and is under lease from the U.S. Forest Service and the Dillon Ranger District in the White River National Forest.  While skiing and snowboarding are the primary attractions, Copper Mountain also has other winter activities such as snowshoeing, snow tubing, and ice skating. In the summer months, the resort offers hiking, mountain biking, golfing, and scenic chairlift rides.

Our hike at Copper Mountain started with a ride up the Woodward Express chairlift which is located in the West Village. We took the I-Road from the top of the lift to the Chickaree Way Trail which is one of the few designated summer hiking trails down the mountain. The route starts at an elevation of 10,804 feet and descends 1000 feet using a combination of the I-Road and Chickaree Trails over 2.7 miles. The lower part of the route shares some of the footpath of the much longer Colorado and Continental Divide Trails.