1. Dispersed camping is non existent on highway 14 between Fort Collins and Walden. And the same goes for Verizon service. But the graded county roads have camping starting with 63E. Only highway legal vehicles are allowed on these roads. Glen Echo has gas pumps but I didn't stop in to see if they are in operation. Posted 2024.
2. COUNTY 63E leaves highway 14 at mp 96.1 and goes graded for 16 miles to the CSU campus and Tom Bennett campground. Camp spots are along the first 6 miles with a restroom at mp 4. FR139 branches off at mp 4.3 and goes graded for nearly 20 miles. The first 6 miles along Bennett Creek has the best camps. At mp 12.2 on 63E is where county 44H goes left for 18 miles to pavement. Going left there leads 9 miles to highway 14 near mp 106. I could have drove a car on all these roads. And so it was in 2024.
3. COMANCHE PEAK el 12702 is a good loop. I went up the Mummy Pass trail and walked the easy ridge to the peak then down to Emmaline Lake and back on that trail. County 63E goes in from highway 14 for 15 miles to Tom Bennett campground. Take the road thru that then shortly a 4wd road goes left for half a mile to a gate el 9000 then it's foot travel only. The closed road runs high on the west side of the CSU campus then the fork for the Mummy trail is signed. I took that to where it tops out at el 11400 then veered right to N40 31882, W105 39108 el 11600 where I had the most tundra to climb the ridge. I leveled off around el 12000 and skirted left of a peak then on past Fall Mtn and on to 32755, 40857 el 12500 where I could circle around to the west side of Comanche then stroll up. I then walked the ridge to 32944, 40436 and went straight down to the lake. I had to weave thru scrub near the lake and the trail is where the topo shows at 32486, 39699 el 11000 and I walked it back. 9 hours, 44 minutes, 16 miles with nearly 4000 gain. Generally easy terrain. The mileage could be cut to 13 by setting up base camp where the old road crosses Fall Creek el 9450. Camping is not allowed at the lakes. Posted July 12, 2024.
4. SUGARLOAF MOUNTAIN el 12120 is the easiest 12er in the world. The Stormy Peaks Trail starts near the CSU campus as the topo shows. I walked it to el 11400 and saw a game trail to my right. I walked easily to it but could have stayed on the main trail then hit it at N40 31171, W105 35578 el 11450. That took me to the main ridge then I strolled to the summit. I retraced back to 31005, 36396 el 11850 then dropped down on tundra and shortcutted back to the trail. I went thru 31350, 36301 el 11050 to get to the trail. That took 7 hours, 14 minutes, and nearly 13 miles with 3300 gain. All easy gain. Posted 2024.
5. CROWN BENCHMARK el 11637 is so easy it makes pie look hard. Cars can make it to the Browns Lake TH el 10500 on FR139. Then there's just one trail to follow to the west ridge of the peak then tundra the rest of the way. 3 hours, 1400 gain, 7 miles. Posted 2024.
6. MIDDLE MOUNTAIN el 11002 is a short hike. County 69 leaves highway 14 at mp 91.1 at Glen Echo. Camp spots start showing up in 5 miles. The road connects to county 86 and many camps along that road have Verizon. It's just a matter of following the roads on the FS topo around to the west side of the peak to a newer trail just past the one on the topo. It goes up to the north side of the peak then it's easy the rest of the way. I could have drove a car the whole way but the last 8 miles is less maintained but that would make a good ebike ride. The other peaks nearby looked easy. Posted 2024.
7. National forest visitor center is at mp 88.
8. BIG SOUTH TH is at about mp 74. That trail runs along the river. It's best as a one way by riding an ebike to the end of the road at Peterson Lake then take a trail there down the river and walk it down to the highway. Trouble is, the river was too high to ford there at the lake so I put it off. It would be an 8 mile hike with a bike shuttle of a dozen miles. The highway has a paved shoulder. Posted 2024.
9. FR103 leaves highway 14 at mp 71.5. It goes along Chambers Lake where there are tiny camps and large camps start in a few more miles at FR191. Posted 2024.
10. TWIN CRATER LAKES el 11000 has a trail the whole way. The West Branch TH el 8550 is at mp 6.8 on county 103. The trail goes to a fork at N40 39398, W105 54177. Go right to another fork at 39598, 55599 then left to the lakes. 7 hours, nearly 3000 gain, 14 miles. Posted 2024.
11. SOUTH RAWAH PEAK el 16644 has easy tundra ridges. I went up the east ridge and down the north. I walked the Twin Crater Lakes trail to a creek draining the lakes at el 10650 and filled my bottle. I started up the ridge nearby reading N40 39390, W105 55789 and on to 39436, 56088 then just followed the ridge up. The summit is at 39561, 57343. I then walked across a flat to a view of Lake #4 at 40055, 57286 and then on down the ridge there. At 40570, 56715 I could see the trail to take me back. 9 hours, 16 miles with 4400 gain. A basecamp 3 miles in at the first major creek crossing el 9550 would cut the time way down. Another good camp is at el 9900 just past a creek. The last camp is right along where I left the trail at el 10650. This is the best hike I did in this wilderness. Posted 2024.
12. SHIPMAN PARK is a 4 mile long meadow surrounded by high mountains. Locals say that dinosaurs still roam there. At mp 15.5 on county 103 is where county 99 branches off and goes nearly 3 miles to the McIntyre TH el 8400. The trail goes over a mile to the creek with a good bridge. The trail stays on the right bank all the way to the park passing thru a saddle el 9632. Just past that is a game trail at N40 47221, W106 00640 that goes up a low hill with glimpses of the park. On down the main trail is another game trail at 47182, 00752 that goes along a bog and in a fifth mile to the edge of the park at 47364, 00720. Beyond there would require galoshes. I've never seen anything like this on this scale. It took me 6 hours, 18 minutes and 14 miles. Easy grades. This all was once a road that went to Ute Pass and beyond. Best late in the season when bogs dry up. I hope.Posted 2024
13. CLARK PEAK el 12951 has an easy route up the east side from a closed logging road. I made a loop up that then back on the Blue Lake Trail. I parked at that TH on highway 14 at mp 69.3 then walked a fifth mile up the highway to the logging road. I walked it to N40 34665, W105 51944 el 9800 then cut across a switchback. At the next fork I stayed right then just had one road to follow to the end at el 10600. I got on an elk trail at 35460, 53776 and went level for a tenth mile then could see where elk go up. I went up to 35580, 53881 el 10850 then on to the top of the ridge. I just followed the pleasant ridge on up. I then went down the NE ridge staying low on the right for the best tundra. At 36753, 55159 el 12100 is where I merged with the route posted by Hahn. It's an easy ridge down then left over peak 11232 and on to 36948, 54502 el 11150 where I could see the lake. I went on down to the trail and walked it out. 7 hours, 10 minutes, 13 miles and nearly 4000 gain. Only the 400 up from the logging road could be called steep. A basecamp could be set up on that road but the last good water I saw was a tiny stream at 35135, 53061 el 10300. A popular camp is at the end of the road el 10600 and likely used by hunters. Posted July 24, 2024.
14. CHICKADEE el 12170 is the name on peakbagger for a peak south of Clark Peak. I parked at about mp 66.3 on highway 14 and took the Montgomery Pass Trail to the crest then on to the peak. I descended the easy NE ridge to N40 34553, W105 54340 el 11200 then dropped down and walked a tundra strip to a bog at 34809, 53903. I walked the right edge to get past it then down to a logging road shown on the topo at 34810, 53429. I shortcutted a bend and hit the road again at 34911, 53204 and soon there is a switchback. I cut that then at the last switchback I went half way down it then cut it and walked on to the highway where I had a bike stashed at mp 69.4. Deadfall was not an issue but that won't last because I was in a burn for half a mile. That took 5 hours, 9 miles with 2500 gain. Easy terrrain. I could have gone on to Clark then down to the logging road. That might take 8 hours. Posted 2024.
15. LONG DRAW ROAD leaves highway 14 at mp 69.3. It goes graded for 14 miles to the national park where the Grand Ditch exits. About 30 small designated campsites are along the way in. Posted 2024.
15. IRON MOUNTAIN el 12265 is in the Never Summer Mountains. I made a good loop up the west rim of Trap Creek then down the east rim. The TH el 9950 is along the Long Draw Rd. I walked up canyon on the trail then up a game trail at N40 32644, W105 49780 el 10400. It follows a logging road up to the rim at a saddle el 10692. I then strolled on up the rim then for the last 400 feet I walked a game trail straight up the ridge to the summit. That's the only steep part and can be avoided by clrcling wide left. I then went down the east rim to 31132, 50416 el 11300 and went down tundra. I stayed left around every obstacle and hit bottom at springs reading 31315, 50509 el 10650. I followed the stream thru a clearing to a faint trail at 31504. 50537 and weaved 200 feet to the main creek and found the main trail on the far bank and strolled back. 6 and a half hours, 10.7 miles with 2600 gain. Deadfall near the saddle el 10692 was a minor nuisance. Posted 2024.
16. FLAT TOP MOUNTAIN el 11355 has a logging road part way up out of Trap Creek. It enters the trees at N40 32335, W105 49953 then on to a clearing at 32191, 49858 el 10650 where I stopped because the road seemed to end there. I would prefer to use this as a descent route on the Iron Mtn hike. Posted 2024.
17. LULU MTN, THUNDER MTN - these two can be done as a loop. I parked at the La Poudre Pass TH at end of the Long Draw Rd then the rode my bike back 4.3 miles to the Long Draw Campground. A closed logging road goes up the ridge there. I shortcutted a gooseneck by heading for N40 30754, W105 47803 and then along the north side of peak 10954 and then hit the road again. The road fades at the wilderness boundary and there I moved to right of center to weave deadfall on up the ridge. The forest soon got very easy and I leveled off at el 11200 and on to springs at 30389, 49346 el 11300. Those seem to be leaking out of the 11374 ponds. I stepped up to the ponds then leveled off to the south ridge of peak 11896. That would be where to go up if doing Iron Mtn, but I was just on it so I stayed low and circled the basin to an elk trail at 30255, 50674 el 11400. Springs there were the best on the hike. The trail stays above the springs and fades and then I picked up another one at 29922, 50953 el 11350 and I went down to the main saddle then up over Thunder Mtn and down to the saddle before Lulu. There I dropped left a little on an elk trail to get an easy angle up to the SE ridge of Lulu then up over that peak and down to Thunder Pass then took the trail out. The last 3 and a half miles are on the Grand Ditch road. I thought that would be dull but turned out to be pretty dramatic. 8 hours, 3700 gain, 14 miles. Easy terrain. I zizgagged tundra up the peaks and didn't have to stop for breath. Shorter loops could be done using the Neota Creek trail as an exit but I didn't scout that. Though I skipped it I could see the south side of Iron Mtn and nothing appeared to be harder than class 2 to get down to the saddle for Thunder Mtn. Posted July 27, 2024.
18. NORTH DIAMOND PEAK el 11852 is a popular one. Behind the restroom at Cameron Pass is a clear strip going straight up the mountain. The steep trail is on the left of it in the trees. But I took a wuss route by riding my bike a mile and a half to the Montgomery Pass Trail el 10000 at mp 66.3. I walked that easy trail to the crest then a trail goes left to the peak. I stayed level along the west side of peak 11588. I descended to the south saddle then down to the trail at N40 31101, W105 54406 el 11300. It faded and I hit another trail at 31071, 54035 that goes along a stream and soon merges with the main trail and goes on down. 3 and a half hours, 1900 gain, 5.2 miles. Posted 2024.
19. FR740 leaves highway 14 near Gould at mp 55.4. That goes graded for miles with countless large camps. It turns 4wd approaching the South Fork TH like the topo shows. Owl Mtn has two different roads to an abandoned lookout. The best is FR792. It might need 4wd at a spot or two. Ebikes should make it. I did a loop on my cycle. Posted 2024.
20. WALDEN is at mp 34. It has Verizon service, Family Dollar and the supermarket is a mile north of town. Posted 2024.
