Top ten treks: The area's best fall hikes

It’s November in Colorado. 

The snow isn’t deep enough for decent skiing or snowshoeing and the nights are too cold for comfortable camping or mountaineering.

What’s an outdoors lover to do?

We’re here to help. The Pikes Peak region is a haven for hiking in fall, with plenty of trails that can be comfortably trekked by taking an extra layer or two. Here are 10 of the best.

See a photo gallery of these great hikes!

Mount Rosa

This wooded summit rising to the south of Pikes Peak isn’t one of the more distinctive points on the Front Range skyline. Getting there requires a long drive on well-maintained dirt roads, driving (or walking) up a four-wheel-drive road and possibly sharing part of the hike with dirt bikers.

But the summit is worth it, a small knob at 11,499 feet with panoramic views of Colorado Springs and the plains beyond, the Pikes Peak massif and the snow-capped Sangre de Cristos.

To get there

Drive up Old Stage Road to Gold Camp Road. At Forest Service Road 379, pull off and park or try to drive up this short stretch of four-wheel-drive road (success in a passenger car depends on conditions). High-clearance vehicles can make it 1.5 miles to park in Frosty Park.

The hike

From the meadows of Frosty Park, head north briefly and look for the intersection with Nelsons Trail (Trail 672). Turn right and hike around the north side of the mountain. After about a mile, turn right at an intersection and begin plunging up a good trail through Rosa’s steep, wooded slopes. Follow well-placed rock cairns across a clearing and back into the trees, and follow the trail to the summit.

Rating

• 3 boots
• 3.5 miles in and back
• 1,200-foot elevation gain
• For those without high-clearance vehicles, 6.5 miles, 1,700 feet of elevation gain

Beaver Creek Wilderness Study Area

Winter arrives late to this network of arid canyons, gulches and arroyos north of Cañon City, making it an ideal place for a fall adventure. The hike will take you from the desert to the pine forests and back in a loop filled with stellar southwestern scenery.

To get there

Drive south on Colorado 115 to Penrose. When the highway divides just north of town, turn right onto Third Street (County Road 123) at a sign for Brush Hollow Reservoir. Drive 5.47 miles to a dirt road (County Road 132). Turn right past several trailers. Drive 10.6 miles through a hidden valley to a large trailhead.

The hike

Start east through an obvious trail portal on a doubletrack road. In 0.1 miles, turn left onto a singletrack and enter the canyon. Go right at a sign with an arrow pointing right for the trail, left for the creek (access for anglers).

Turn right 0.8 miles from the start at a sign for Trail Gulch and walk up a narrow path through willows and cottonwoods. These dry hills teem with life. Along with deer and black bear, the area has one of the higher concentrations of mountain lions in the state.

Gradually wind up Trail Gulch about 1.25 miles to a signed junction with the Powerline Trail. Turn left. The Powerline Trail tacks up dry juniper hills on seemingly endless switchbacks, climbing about 1,000 feet to a saddle with long views. Turn left and drop into the canyon of Beaver Creek.

Just before the trail reaches the bottom of Beaver Creek, look for a turn going up to the left. This is the trail back along the creek. A bridge was washed away long ago, and hikers must cross and recross the creek, so take water shoes or sandals. Return to the trailhead.

Rating

• 3 boots
• 7 miles round-trip
• 1,600-foot elevation gain

Almagre Mountain

This 12,367-foot peak, rising just to the south of Pikes Peak, rarely is climbed, compared with its larger neighbor. The more popular route runs straight up its east side, a shaded trail that can hold a lot of snow and offers solitude and amazing views of the still-closed South Slope Recreation Area. This is high above timberline, so even if it’s dry, expect strong, cold winds.

To get there

Drive 19.6 miles up Old Stage Road. At an intersection near cabins, turn right onto Forest Road 376. Drive 3.2 miles to a gate. The trail begins a few yards back on the road, where an eroded Jeep trail climbs to the east.

The hike

Walk 0.75 miles up the Jeep road and turn left to follow a faint, unmarked trail in a meadow. Reach a low saddle after 0.3 miles and go off trail, following the high ground northwest for about 0.1 mile through open forest to a fence.

Cross through a gap in the fence and continue 0.1 mile to a gravel clearing, where a clear trail makes a contouring climb to the northeast. The well-made trail climbs for just less than a mile and 630 vertical feet to a gentle saddle at 12,000 feet. The summit of Almagre Mountain waits an easy mile to the north. Walk around the reservoir and follow the obvious road to the summit.

Rating

• 3 boots
• 6.5 miles round-trip
• 1,000-foot elevation gain

Pancake Rocks

The flat rock formations that give this trail its name provide an excellent panorama of the rolling hills of Teller County and, on a clear day, the peaks of the Sangre de Cristo and Sawatch mountains glimmer in the distance. This hike is great for boots in fall and snowshoes in winter, and is easily accessed from a paved highway.

To get there

Take U.S. 24 west to Divide; turn left on Colorado 67 toward Cripple Creek. After you pass the closed Little Ike Tunnel, look for a parking area on your left. Park there and begin at the unmarked but obvious trailhead.

The hike

Zigzag up the hill to the right of the tunnel. After a rocky section, the trail levels out, and you’ll find yourself in an open area. A left turn across the creek takes hikers to Horsethief Park, another great fall hiking area.

But for this trip, don’t cross the creek and soon you’ll reach a sign directing you to Pancake Rocks. Head right, and start a steeper section of trail through dense forest. Make sure you take layers of clothing.

The trail levels out and opens up to a high meadow with stunning views of the peaks in the distance. Skirt a collection of boulders and head left through a stand of young aspens. You haven’t reached the true Pancake Rocks yet. When you do, you’ll find a sunny place perfect for lunch and thawing out. Retrace your steps.

Rating

• 3 boots
• 2.75 miles one way
• 1,400-foot elevation gain

The Crags

Yeah, we know. This is one of the region’s more popular trails, and it’s sure to be teeming with people. But you might not find a crowd in fall, when chilly winds blast the rocky outcroppings on Pikes Peak’s north flank.

To get there

From Divide, drive south 4.5 miles on Colorado 67 to the Crags Campground, just past the entrance to Mueller State Park. Turn left and drive to the Rocky Mountain Mennonite Camp. Turn right and follow the road to the Crags Campground entrance. Turn left into the campground and continue to the trailhead parking area.

The hike

The trail winds in and out of evergreens and aspens for a little more than a mile as it follows a stream up a gentle valley. Then it plunges into the forest for a steeper quarter-mile climb. The trail ends on top of a group of granite boulders that provide a panoramic view to the west.

Rating

• 3 boots
• 2 miles round-trip
• 1,000-foot elevation gain

The Paint Mines

This canyon of whimsical hoodoos carved of bright white and sherbet-colored stone is a treasure on the eastern plains. Archaeological evidence suggests people have camped here for thousands of years.

To get there

Take U.S. 24 east about 35 miles to Calhan. Turn south on Yoder Street, then east on Paint Mine Road. Drive about 1.5 miles to a trailhead on the left — or continue less than a mile for two additional trailheads (veer left at the road’s fork).

The hike

The four miles of wide, rolling trails in this county park make a rough figure eight. The colored rock spires lie close to the intersection, so any path will lead you there. The bright colors are clays spiked with oxidized iron. Enjoy the short-grass prairie and watch for coyotes and pronghorn. Take a hat and water; this is an easy hike, but there’s no shade. This is a great place to wander, but please stay off the delicate rock formations.

Rating

• 1 boot
• 1 to 4 miles round-trip
• 150-foot elevation gain

Castlewood Canyon

This canyon east of Castle Rock is a surprise getaway from civilization.

To get there

Take I-25 north to the Colorado H83/Academy Boulevard exit. Take 83 north to the main (east) entrance to Castlewood Canyon State Park on your left.

The hike

Hike downhill from the Canyon Point trailhead. Turn left at the sign for the Inner Canyon and follow the trail as it winds along Cherry Creek, which bubbles through formations of giant boulders. At the fork, stay to your right and head for the historic dam ruins that are the centerpiece of this park.

Take the right fork near the dam and head up to the rim of the canyon, dotted with juniper and ponderosa pine. The trail drops down for a loop back to the ruins, or simply retrace your steps. Watch for the park’s resident mule deer, coyote, porcupine and turkey vultures.
A day pass to the state park is $7 per vehicle.

Rating

• 1 boot
• 5 miles round-trip
• 200-foot elevation gain

Aiken Canyon

This 1,600-acre Nature Conservancy preserve starts in yucca-studded grasslands, then rises gently to shrubby hills of Gambel oak and mountain mahogany, and finally peeks into montane forests of ponderosa pine and Douglas fir.

To get there

Drive south on Colorado 115. Shortly after mile marker 32, turn right onto Turkey Canyon Ranch Road. Almost immediately, turn right again into the Aiken Canyon parking lot.

The hike

From the trailhead, follow a well-maintained singletrack as it braids along a dry wash. In less than a mile, the trail splits. Take the left branch and wind up through the oak and piñon pine to a saddle, then drop down to a meadow where the trail splits. Head left to a ruined cabin and spring in a shady cleft in the foothills, and then return. Head right to loop through wildflower meadows to the road.

Open dawn to dusk Saturdays, Sundays and Mondays; no dogs or bikes.

Rating

• 2 boots
• 4 miles (plus 1.5-mile trail to cabin) round-trip
• 500-foot elevation gain

Mount Big Chief

At the turn of the century, someone crafted a gorgeous trail to the top of this peak west of Mount Rosa, complete with well-planned switchbacks and rock cribbing to make the path level. Then time swallowed the trail, which makes this hike a great destination for those looking for views and solitude.

To get there

Drive up Old Stage Road for just more than 10 miles from where it intersects with Penrose Boulevard (southwest of The Broadmoor). It joins Gold Camp Road and eventually meets Forest Road 379 on the right. Park on a wide shoulder on the left. The rocky peak to the northwest is Big Chief.

The hike

Find the large metal Colorado Springs Utilities gate. The hike begins with a scramble up a dirt bank directly north and across the road. The trail starts 100 yards due north of the gate, at a two-track road leading northwest, but hikers must skirt west around a small parcel of private property and cut back to meet the trail.

Follow the trail as it angles up a shallow drainage ditch and changes from a fading road to a switchbacking singletrack. At all trail forks, head left. At the saddle, look for a cairn on the left and follow it 50 yards, until the trail becomes clear again as it contours around the left side of Big Chief’s summit. In less than a quarter-mile, the trail twists to the summit, offering views of Mount Rosa, Rosemont Reservoir and the bald brow of Almagre Mountain.

Rating

• 3 boots
• 4.5 miles round-trip
• 2,009-foot elevation gain

Rainbow Trail

You can spend a morning, a day or a week exploring the 55-mile Rainbow Trail by foot, bike or horse. It rolls on and on over the hills and crosses dozens of streams.

To get there

Take Colorado 115 south to Florence, then take Colorado 67 for 10 miles south to Wetmore. From there, take Colorado 96 for 27 miles to Westcliffe, turn right on Colorado 69 in downtown Westcliffe, and go north 11 miles. Turn left onto the Bear Creek Campground access road and follow signs. Park in a clearing by the entrance to a Methodist camp.

The hike

Follow a steep four-wheel-drive road west about a half-mile to the trailhead on the left marked with a Forest Service arrow (about 8,500 feet in elevation). Head south and climb about a mile, alternating between sheltered woods and open views of Humboldt Peak, Crestone Needle and Crestone Peak. Know that if you take the sharp descent here, you’ll have to climb your way back to the trailhead. If you continue, the trail is a rollercoaster of hills for nearly 30 miles.

Rating

• 3-4 boots
• Up to 55 miles
• Up to 1,500-foot elevation gain