Destination du jour

Crosier Mountain
Front Range trails to scenic summit offer year-round appeal

Crosier Mountain is a year-round destination for northern Colorado hikers. Three trailheads provide access to the mountain, and the summit provides gorgeous views of Longs Peak and the eastern skyline of Rocky Mountain National Park.

During the summer, take plenty of water to drink; Crosier Mountain is dry. The trails climb steeply in many locations. No matter which trailhead you use, you're in for a strenuous hike.

If you hike Crosier Mountain in the winter, be ready for snow and ice on the trail. Take a good topographical map, just in case you become disoriented when crossing over ridges or through valleys. In some places, snow can obscure the trail.

Highlights of the route include an area that was burned several years ago by the U.S. Forest Service to provide winter forage for elk herds. The hope was that some of the elk that live in the Estes Park area might migrate farther east to Crosier Mountain, thus reducing the number of elk in the Estes valley. The burned area is recovering nicely; meadows there are covered with flowers and grasses, and hikers frequently see deer there.

You can take dogs on the trail, but use a leash because of the number of deer and elk that live in the area. The trails are also very busy with hikers in the spring, summer, and fall. Horses are also allowed on the trails, so use courtesy when you encounter horse groups.

Camping is legal, although you'll need to take your own water. Crosier Mountain has few, if any, water sources. Be especially careful with fire, because the summer heat makes vegetation on Crosier Mountain extremely flammable. From a few places on the Garden Gate trail, you can look across the North Fork of the Big Thompson River to the Cedar Park area, where the human-caused Bobcat Fire burned several homes and thousands of acres of forest during the summer of 2000.

Here is detailed information from the Forest Service about the trailheads and how to get there.

Crosier Mountain Trail No. #931 (known as the Garden Gate trailhead)
Length One Way: 5 miles
Beginning Elevation: 6,428'
Peak Elevation: 9,250'
Difficulty: Difficult
Access:
Take Highway 34 west of Loveland to Drake. At Drake, turn right onto County Road 43 and travel 2.2 miles. There is a small parking area on the south side of the road. This is the Garden Gate trailhead.
Attractions and Considerations:
Two other trailheads access Crosier Mountain. The Rainbow Pit Trailhead is located a few miles past the Garden Gate trailhead -- to find Rainbow Pit, look for a large gravel cut on the south side of the road; a trail sign sits just up the hill from a gate. The third trailhead is also located on County Road 43, near the little village of Glen Haven.

For more information:
Write or call the U.S. Forest Service Visitor Information Center
1311 S. College
Fort Collins, CO 80524
(970) 498-2770
TTY Phone (970) 498-2707
Email: lmcfadden@fs.fed.us

-- Posted Feb. 13, 2001

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