Our favorite Colorado hikes of 2021

In my opinion, there are few things in life more awe-inspiring than standing on top of a mountain or on the shoreline of a high alpine lake. High altitude environments, where the climate is so unforgiving and oxygen so little that trees no longer are able to grow, have an enigmatic quality to them.

If you time your hike just right, standing on a 13,000′ peak can feel like paradise. The sky is a shade of blue unlike anything you’ve ever seen, the views stretch on for what feels like hundreds of miles, and the world around you feels as wild as it’s ever felt. You’re standing on top of the world. It’s mesmerizing and euphoric. But the window of time to experience the mountains in this welcoming way is extremely small. In the summer the thunderstorms are fierce and dangerous, in the winter the conditions are downright deadly. This is a place where humans are not meant to exist, and even on the best day, you can feel it. So for that reason, when we time our hikes just right, and experience the utopia that seldom exists in these environments, we rejoice in joy and delight.

For me, hiking above treeline in Colorado during the summer is one of the very best way to experience the inexplicable grandeur of Mother Nature.

This summer we added a few new favorites to our list and revisited some classics that we’ve loved for over a decade. Here’s a little recap of our favorite Colorado hikes from this past summer…

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ECCLES PASS – 10.9 MILES

I wanted to just keep going on this hike being that I could see the Gore Range Trail wind on down through the valley on the other side of the pass we were standing on. We’re thinking we may need to try an overnighter next year so that we can get even deeper in to the wilderness.

LOVELAND PASS – 3 MILES

The crowds at this spot are growing every year but this is still one of the best options for enjoying a quick hike above treeline when you don’t have all day to spend on trail. And once you put in a mile or so, most of the tourists have run out of oxygen and returned to their cars.

SPOUT LAKE – 5.5 MILES

This hike happened by accident. Three other trailheads on this particular morning were a total bust. The first one wasn’t accessible and the second and third were packed with people. We ended up pulling over at a closed gate and walking down a two track road simply to get some fresh air and accept our defeat. Just as we were about to turn around, we spotted an animal trail and decided to follow it in to the woods and up the mountain side. Mark spotted a lake on his topo map so we decided to see if we could make our way there. After about an hour of bushwhacking and route-finding, we made it. And it was one of the best pay-offs of the summer.

EAGLES NEST WILDERNESS – 10.3 MILES

Quite possibly my favorite hike of all time. We used to live near this little known trailhead and every summer would enjoy the most peaceful hikes without another soul in sight. (Fun fact: Almost every July we would bring our sleds and find snowfields to sled on.) This particular trail spans the length of the Gore Range and every time we’re there I want to go a little bit further. This year was our furthest yet. I can’t wait to see how many miles we put in next year.

UTE PEAK – 11.6 MILES

I have wanted to summit Ute Peak for years! However, I’ve always been intimidated by the fact that it’s a 3,500′ climb to get to the top. This summer I decided it was time to give it a go, and for some reason decided that I wanted to go it alone.

The idea of hiking a rarely used trail for 6-8 hours all on my own sounded scary and liberating all at the same time. My two biggest fears were 1) getting lost and 2) getting injured. I have too many tools at my disposal though to let those fears stop me so I loaded up my backpack with food, water, clothing, bear spray, satellite tracker, and a few other essentials and went for it. It was an absolutely incredible experience that I wish I had done sooner.

COTTONWOOD PASS

Like Loveland Pass, this is another easy way to enjoy high alpine views without massive amounts of effort. The Colorado Trail (a 490 mile trail from Denver to Durango) intersects Cottonwood Pass giving you the option to hop on trail and hike for as long as your heart desires. While we were in Buena Vista, we popped up here twice from our campsite for a nice little sunset hike.

CRAG CREST – 10.3 MILES (WITH SHOES)

This hike didn’t go as planned. We parked at the trailhead, after an hour long drive to get there, only to discover that Mark forgot his shoes. I thought that meant the hike was a bust but he insisted on putting in a few miles in his flip flops. To my surprise, we ended up getting 7.5 miles in that day. And there weren’t even any blisters to show for it.

I couldn’t be more grateful for the ability of my legs and lungs to put in these high altitude miles. For me, I can’t think of a better way to spend a summer day in Colorado.