Entry No. 174 — the Denver file — filed under: outdoor

Chief Mountain Trail

Most people barreling up I-70 toward the famous 14ers drive right past this one — and that's the gift. Chief Mountain is short, steep, and absurdly generous: under three miles round trip from a roadside pull-out to an 11,700-foot summit that hands you a genuine 360-degree payoff. You climb fast through pine and into open alpine tundra, then top out on a rocky crown with Rocky Mountain National Park to the north, the Grays and Torreys 14ers and Mount Blue Sky close enough to read, Pikes Peak to the south, and the Denver plains spilling east. Big-mountain views, fraction of the effort, none of the trailhead circus.

The move: Make the climb itself the date: pack a thermos and two layers, start early while the air is cold and the parking pull-out is still half-empty, and trade the effort of the steep middle stretch for the reward at the top. Summit together, find a flat rock out of the wind, and spend a while naming the peaks on the horizon — there are a lot of them. It's the rare hike where you can be back at the car before the afternoon clouds build, with the whole rest of the day still ahead of you.

📍 Before you go A short out-and-back of roughly 2.8-3.0 miles round trip with about 1,000 feet of climbing — moderate, mostly because the grade is steep and you start above 10,000 feet. The summit sits near 11,709 ft. Getting there: from Denver take I-70 west to Exit 252 (CO-74/Evergreen Parkway), go south ~2 miles, turn right onto Squaw Pass Road (CO-103), and follow it up the switchbacks ~10.4 miles to a small pull-out just past mile marker 18; the lot is tiny and fills on weekends. Best hiked summer through early fall when it's snow-free. The upper trail is fully above treeline — afternoon thunderstorms are common and serious here, so start early and aim to be off the summit by midday to avoid lightning. At ~11,700 ft, expect thinner air; pace yourself and bring water, wind layers, and sun protection. Squaw Pass Road climbs high and can be snowpacked, icy, or closed off-season, so check road and weather conditions before driving up. It's on Arapaho National Forest land and generally free with no permit, though parking policies can change — and stay on the established trail, as the alpine tundra takes decades to recover from a footprint.

• 📍 Idaho Springs / Squaw Pass Road (CO-103), Arapaho National Forest
• 💸 Free
• ⚡ Up for anything
• 🌗 Outdoors

Where: Chief Mountain Trailhead, a small pull-out on Squaw Pass Road (CO-103) just past mile marker 18, roughly across from the Echo Mountain area. From Denver: I-70 west to Exit 252 (CO-74/Evergreen Parkway), south on CO-74 about 2 miles, right onto Squaw Pass Road, then ~10.4 miles up the switchbacks to the small lot.

Hours: Day-use, free. Best season: Summer through early fall (snow-free; July-September best). Confirm trail & road conditions before you go.

⚠ Seasonal or scheduled — always check before you go.

Plan a visit & invite your people →

Proof: source 1 · source 2 · source 3 · source 4

last checked: 2026-06-10