Colorado · Hiking

Fortification Creek

5.2 mi
round trip
2,673 ft
climb
10,770 ft
high point
Out and back
route

Is Fortification Creek open right now?

Closure in the area

There's a closure order in Hahns Peak-Bears Ears Ranger District. It doesn't name Fortification Creek, so check the source for the area it covers.

As of · Source: USFS · Hahns Peak-Bears Ears Ranger District. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.

Fortification Creek is a hiking trail in the Hahns Peak-Bears Ears Ranger District of Colorado's Medicine Bow-Routt National Forest. It's a 5.2-mile out-and-back rated moderate, running on a natural surface between about 9,535 and 10,770 feet in elevation. The route gains about 1,200 feet one way, and the ups and downs add up to roughly 2,700 feet of climbing over the round trip. The steepest pitch comes around mile 2.4, where the grade reaches about 27 percent. Bikes and horses are both allowed, so expect to share the trail. At this elevation, plan for a high-country outing. Freeman Reservoir Campground sits about 2.6 miles away, and the Cottonwood, Taylor and Sherman-Freeman trails are all within about three miles.