Pikes Peak (14,110′), Front Range

by Mike Langenkamp | Dec 26, 2020 | 14er's, Front Range, Rocky Mountains, Touring, Trip Reports

Pikes Peak (14,110′), Front Range

Pikes Peak is the highest summit of the southern Front Range of the Rocky Mountains in North America. The prominent 14,115-foot (4,302.31 m) fourteener is located in Pike National Forest, 12 miles (19 km) west of downtown Colorado Springs, Colorado. The summit is higher than any point in the United States east of its longitude. The uppermost portion of Pikes Peak, above 14,000 feet (4,267 m) elevation, was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1961.

The mountain and it’s flanks offer great hiking, such as Pancake Rocks and the Crags. The other 14,000′ peak in Colorado with a paved road to nearly the summit is Mt Evans.

Trail Stats

Pikes Peak

Rating – Easy
Road: Pikes Peak Hwy
Round trip: 36 miles / 58 km
Elevation: 7,400′ – 14,110′ / 2,256 m – 4,301 m
County: El Paso
Agency: U.S. Forest Service
National Forest: Pike

Trail Pictures

View of Pikes Peak from Almagre Mountain

Gift shop, snacks, and a brake check for vehicles

Pikes Peak Hwy is a popular tourist attraction

Plenty of areas to stop and enjoy the views

Looking towards the east are numerous reservoirs

The Front Range and eastern plains

Looking west above treeline

Patches of snow near the summit

Pikes Peak Hwy is well maintained but without guardrails

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Nearing the summit

Typically 20 degrees cooler near the summit

The Sawatch Mountain Range in the distance

View west from the summit

The Sawatch Mountain Range tot he west

Looking back at the route up

Views across the bottomless pit area

View north of the Front Range

View to the east near the base of Pikes Peak

GPS Route with Elevation

Video Tour

Trail Directions

Take HWY 24 west from Colorado Springs for approximately 14 miles until you see the sign for the Pikes Peak Hwy. Turn left and follow the signs.

The road is paved but lacks guard rails so can be unsettling for first time mountain drivers.

This is a toll road with an entrance fee at the base of the mountain.

Trailhead Directions

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Flat Tops Scenic Byway (10,343′), Flat Tops

by Mike Langenkamp | Jun 6, 2020 | Dog Friendly, Flat Tops, Rocky Mountains, Touring, Trip Reports

Flat Tops Scenic Byway (10,343′), Flat Tops

Flat Tops Trail Scenic Byway (County Road 8), runs through the northern portion of the Flat Tops Wilderness. The Flat Tops is Colorado’s second largest Wilderness, spanning a total of 235,214 acres.

Part of the White River Plateau, the wilderness has an average elevation of 10,000 feet. Approximately 110 lakes and ponds, often unnamed, dot the country above and below the numerous flat-topped cliffs. The valleys and relatively gentle land above the cliffs offers over 160 miles of trails to explore.

Trappers Lake is located at the halfway point, and is well worth a short detour.

Trail Stats

Flat Tops Scenic Byway

Road: County Road 8
One Way: 82 miles / 132 km (Yampa to Meeker)
Elevation: 7,881′ – 10,343′ / 2,402m – 3,153m
Area: Flat Tops
County: Routt
Agency: U.S. Forest Service
Nat’l Forest: White River
Nat’l Wilderness: Flat Tops

Trail Pictures

Grouse bottom center during sunset

Bald Eagle on the western end of the route

Bald Eagle on a perch in the center

Elk in the lush western valley

The 12,000′ Flat Tops

View from Ripple Creek Pass

Dunkley Pass view

Flat Tops Wilderness looking east

Looking back east

Spring in the Flat Tops

Things get green as we rise in elevation

Cattle guard near the summit of the pass

Summit of the pass

Well graded road on the east side

Not far from Yampa

Lush valley on the west side

Beautiful sunset over the Flat Tops

First glimpse of the Flat Tops

GPS Route with Elevation

Video Tour

Trail Directions

Starting from the east side in Yampa, take County Road 8 to the west.

The road soon begins to climb until you reach Dunkley Pass at 9,763′.

After descending the pass, the road begins to climb again very quickly until you reach the highest point on the byway, Ripple Creek Pass 10,343′.

Continuing west you soon reach the Trappers Lake turnoff. This marks the 1/2 point of the byway.

Soon after the Trappers Lake turnoff the road becomes paved the rest of the way to Meeker. Its a slow decent with large ranches in the lush valley.

Trailhead Directions

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Garden of the Gods (6,400′) Front Range

by Mike Langenkamp | Feb 23, 2019 | Dog Friendly, Easy Hikes, Front Range, Rocky Mountains, Touring, Trip Reports

Garden of the Gods (6,400′) Front Range

Garden of the Gods is a geologically unique 480 acre park, having one of the most complete and complex exposures of earth’s history anywhere in the country. On the outskirts of Colorado Springs, it is popular for hiking, technical rock climbing, biking, and horseback riding. There are more than 15 miles of trails, with a 1.1-mile trail running through the heart of the park, that is paved and wheelchair accessible. The park is a registered National Natural Landmark, with dramatic views of 300′ towering sandstone rock formations against a backdrop of snow-capped Pikes Peak.

Roxborough State Park to the north also has stunning red rock geological features within easy access of the parking lot.

Trail Pictures

Cathedral Valley sandstone formations

View of Garden of the Gods with Pikes Peak in the distance

Snow on Pikes Peak creating a bright reflection

Balanced Rock

Steamboat Rock on left and Balanced Rock in the middle

Sandstone formations in Cathedral Valley

North and South Gateway Rock

Rock Ledge Ranch Historic Site

Entrance to Garden of the Gods

View north on a snowy February day

The red rocks and fresh snow create intricate patterns

Cathedral Valley with a cloud capped Cheyenne Mountain in the distance

Interesting tree/rock formation

Part of the Sleeping Giant formation on the left

The Perkins Central Garden Trail

Dedication plaque

Kindergarten Rock comprised of white sandstone

380′ high sandstone formation

North Gateway Rock with the Kissing Camels formation creating an arch near the top

Summertime view of Pikes Peak

Fresh snow in Cathedral Valley

The red sandstone formations in stark contrast to the snow

Panorama from the visitors center

Kissing Camels formation at night

The main trail in the park, Perkins Central Garden Trail, is a paved, wheelchair-accessible 1.1-mile trail. It travels through the heart of the park’s largest and most scenic red rocks! The trail begins at the North Parking lot.

Download Map

Video Tour

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Mt Evans (14,264′), Front Range

by Mike Langenkamp | Aug 20, 2016 | 14er's, Dog Friendly, Easy Hikes, Front Range, Rocky Mountains, Touring, Trip Reports

Mt Evans (14,264′), Front Range

Mt Evans can be accessed via the highest paved road in North America, reaching an elevation of 14,130′. The Mount Evans Scenic Byway, maintained by the Forest Service, offers easy access to Colorado’s inspiring high mountain environment. A drive up, and short walk to the top of Mt Evans, will take your breath away in more ways than one. On the 15-mile one-way drive, there are stops at Mount Goliath Nature Center, Summit Lake Park and the Summit Interpretive area of Mount Evans.

From the summit you will see another 14,000′ peak in close proximity, Mt Bierstadt (14,160′)

Mount Evans, along with Echo Lake, was designated as a historic site by the American Physical Society in 2017, commemorating the many cosmic-ray physics experiments conducted on the mountain between 1935 and 1960.