Colorado · Hiking · Eagles Nest Wilderness

Bighorn

BighornPhoto: Scott McLeod, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)
6.9 mi
round trip
1,787 ft
climb
10,795 ft
high point
Out and back
route

Is Bighorn open right now?

Alert in the area

The Forest Service lists 6 alerts for White River National Forest.

As of · Source: USFS · White River National Forest. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.

Bighorn is a hard hike in Colorado's Eagles Nest Wilderness, part of the Holy Cross Ranger District of the White River National Forest. The trail is an out-and-back that climbs from about 8,600 feet to about 10,800 feet, with a total elevation gain of 1,787 feet over a route of about 6.9 miles. The Forest Service manages the land, and the trail is on natural surface with no horses or bikes allowed. Summer is the most comfortable time to go. Typical averages from the nearby Climax weather station show July highs around 67°F with lows near 40°F, while winter brings highs in the mid-20s and frequent snow days from December through February. The Bighorn Trailhead is the parking for the route, and the trail is open from about May 21 to November 22. Pitkin, a lake fishing spot, and the Grand Traverse and North Traverse hikes both lie within a mile. Gore Creek Campground is about 1.4 miles away.

Go with a guide

  • Best time to go

    Best time to visit Bighorn

    No month here meets our mild-weather rule. Best months have typical highs of 55–85 °F, lows of 30 °F or warmer (32 °F where the station doesn't record snow), at most one snowy day and no more than 12 wet days.

    1. Jan

      27° / 3°

      15 wet · 15 snow

    2. Feb

      29° / 3°

      15 wet · 15 snow

    3. Mar

      35° / 8°

      14 wet · 14 snow

    4. Apr

      40° / 15°

      13 wet · 13 snow

    5. May

      49° / 25°

      10 wet · 8 snow

    6. Jun

      61° / 34°

      8 wet · 2 snow

    7. Jul

      67° / 40°

      13 wet

    8. Aug

      64° / 39°

      15 wet

    9. Sep

      58° / 32°

      11 wet · 2 snow

    10. Oct

      47° / 21°

      9 wet · 7 snow

    11. Nov

      35° / 11°

      12 wet · 12 snow

    12. Dec

      27° / 3°

      15 wet · 15 snow

    Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Climax, CO, 19.7 mi away at 11,344 ft. The station sits about 500 ft higher than this place, so expect it a little warmer here. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.

Keep exploring — more trails worth the drive

North TraversePhoto: Scott McLeod, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)

North Traverse

~1 min drive

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Vail - Frisco Rec Path

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Deluge Lake

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East Partner PeakPhoto: toastal_OLD, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)

East Partner Peak

~1 min drive

Route to the summit of East Partner Peak (13,058 ft) from Gore Valley Trail.

Lost LakePhoto: jl_2, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)

Lost Lake

~11 min drive

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Trail near Vail

~2 min drive

0.73-mile out-and-back trail near Vail, Colorado with 36 ft of elevation gain.

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Gore Lake

~8 min drive

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West Partner PeakPhoto: toastal_OLD, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)

West Partner Peak

~3 min drive

Route to the summit of West Partner Peak (13,054 ft) from the trailhead.

Bowman's ShortcutPhoto: KimonBerlin, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)

Bowman's Shortcut

~9 min drive

7.80-mile out-and-back trail in Colorado with 849 ft elevation gain.