Colorado · Hiking · Near Idaho Springs

Devil's Canyon

Devil's CanyonPhoto: jtsmmm, CC BY 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)
3.4 mi
round trip
1,366 ft
climb
10,408 ft
high point
Out and back
route
Jun, Sep
best months

Is Devil's Canyon open right now?

Alert in the area

The Forest Service lists 3 alerts for Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests.

As of · Source: USFS · Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.

Devil's Canyon is a 3.4-mile out-and-back hike in the Clear Creek Ranger District of the Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests in Colorado. The trail rises from about 9,045 feet to about 10,408 feet, a climb of 1,366 feet one way. The Forest Service manages the land. The route is natural-surface and is rated moderate. Bikes and horses are both allowed, so it works for riders and pack animals. Summer is the most comfortable time to go. Typical July averages from a nearby weather station at Cabin Creek, at a similar elevation, run around 69°F for the high and 46°F for the low, and the station sits a few hundred feet below the canyon's high point, so temperatures up top run cooler. Winter is cold, with typical January highs around 32°F. The trail is open from June 1 to September 30. That makes summer the window to plan around. Barbour Fork is about half a mile away, and the Devils Canyon Spur is roughly 1.3 miles off. Paddlers can head to Chicago Creek, about 1.4 miles away, and climbers will find the Amphitheater Area about 2 miles from the canyon.

Around this trail

Add any of these when you start a trip
  • Sleep close

    Echo Lake Campground

    Campground

    Campground · 3.2 mi from the trail
  • If it rainsUser:Magicpiano, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

    Hamill House Museum

    Museum

    Museum · 6.8 mi from Idaho Springs

    Historic house-museum in Georgetown, Colorado, United States

Places © OpenStreetMap contributors · Photos: User:Magicpiano, CC BY-SA 4.0 (commons)

More in Idaho Springs

Go with a guide

  • Best time to go · Jun, Sep

    Best time to visit Devil's Canyon

    Best months: June and September. 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

      32° / 12°

      8 wet

    2. Feb

      31° / 11°

      8 wet

    3. Mar

      38° / 17°

      9 wet

    4. Apr

      43° / 23°

      10 wet

    5. May

      53° / 31°

      9 wet

    6. Jun

      64° / 40°

      9 wet

    7. Jul

      69° / 46°

      13 wet

    8. Aug

      67° / 44°

      14 wet

    9. Sep

      61° / 38°

      10 wet

    10. Oct

      50° / 29°

      7 wet

    11. Nov

      39° / 19°

      7 wet

    12. Dec

      32° / 12°

      8 wet

    Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Cabin Creek, CO, 7.9 mi away at 10,020 ft. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.

Keep exploring — more trails worth the drive

DEVILS CANYON SPURPhoto: jtsmmm, CC BY 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

DEVILS CANYON SPUR

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