Colorado · Hiking

Full Nelson

3.9 mi
round trip
191 ft
climb
8,890 ft
high point
Out and back
route
Jun–Sep
best months

Is Full Nelson 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.

Full Nelson is a 3.9-mile out-and-back hike in the Holy Cross Ranger District of Colorado's White River National Forest, managed by the Forest Service. The trail rises about 190 feet from a low point of 8,629 feet to a high of 8,890 feet, and it is rated moderate. The route works well for a short outing on a day spent exploring the surrounding area. It is open year-round, and the Forest Service allows both horses and bikes. Summer is the most comfortable time to go. Typical averages from a nearby weather station in Vail, at a lower elevation, show July highs around 77°F with lows near 42°F, while winter highs stay in the 20s. Meadow Mountain, a mountain biking area, sits just 0.1 mile away, and West Grouse Creek is about 0.6 mile off. Climbers can head to Cemetery Block, roughly 2 miles away, and Halfmoon Campground is about 6 miles from the trail.

Go with a guide

  • Best time to go · Jun–Sep

    Best time to visit Full Nelson

    Best months: June–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

      29° / 7°

      12 wet

    2. Feb

      33° / 9°

      11 wet

    3. Mar

      42° / 17°

      10 wet

    4. Apr

      49° / 24°

      9 wet

    5. May

      60° / 31°

      9 wet

    6. Jun

      71° / 36°

      8 wet

    7. Jul

      77° / 42°

      10 wet

    8. Aug

      74° / 41°

      11 wet

    9. Sep

      67° / 34°

      9 wet

    10. Oct

      54° / 25°

      7 wet

    11. Nov

      38° / 15°

      9 wet

    12. Dec

      28° / 7°

      11 wet

    Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Vail, CO, 6.3 mi away at 8,304 ft. The station sits about 600 ft lower than this place, so expect it a little cooler here. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.

Keep exploring — more trails worth the drive

Whiskey CreekPhoto: wka, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)

Whiskey Creek

~2 min drive

5.57-mile out-and-back trail in Colorado managed by White River National Forest.

Grouse LakePhoto: jrm353, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)

Grouse Lake

~2 min drive

7.85-mile out-and-back trail in Colorado with 3,252 ft elevation gain.

HIKE

Grouse Mountain

~9 min drive

6.00-mile out-and-back trail in Colorado at 11,828 ft elevation.

Hay MeadowPhoto: jrm353, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)

Hay Meadow

~2 min drive

5.70-mile out-and-back trail in Colorado's White River National Forest with 1,362 ft gain.

Cougar RidgePhoto: jrm353, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)

Cougar Ridge

~4 min drive

10.56-mile out-and-back trail in Colorado with 2,154 ft elevation gain.

Trail near Iron MountainPhoto: supercraigtalbert, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)

Trail near Iron Mountain

~10 min drive

1.66-mile out-and-back trail near Iron Mountain, Colorado with 276 ft elevation gain.

Buck CreekPhoto: aperturismo, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)

Buck Creek

~9 min drive

6.91-mile out-and-back trail in Colorado's White River National Forest with 1,947 ft of elevation gain.

Meadow MountainPhoto: wka, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)

Meadow Mountain

~2 min drive

10.82-mile out-and-back trail in Colorado with 423 ft gain and 9,792 ft max elevation.

Davos TrailPhoto: roland, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)

Davos Trail

~3 min drive

Davos Trail is a 1.98-mile trail in Colorado with 400 feet of elevation gain.

HIKE

Eaglevail

~4 min drive

4.55-mile out-and-back trail in Colorado's White River National Forest with 107 ft of elevation gain.