Colorado · Hiking · Holy Cross Wilderness · Near Leadville

Grouse Mountain

Grouse MountainPhoto: Joe Lin — Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0)
6.0 mi
round trip
65 ft
climb
11,828 ft
high point
Out and back
route

Is Grouse Mountain 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.

Grouse Mountain is a 6-mile out-and-back hike in the Holy Cross Wilderness, part of the Holy Cross Ranger District of White River National Forest in Colorado. The Forest Service manages the land, and the trail lies within designated wilderness. The route starts at about 10,655 feet and climbs to roughly 11,828 feet, a gain of about 65 feet over the course of the trip. The trail is natural-surfaced, and horses are allowed. Bikes are not. Summer is the most comfortable time to go. Typical averages from the nearby Climax weather station, at a similar elevation, show July highs around 67°F with lows near 40°F and no snow days. Winter is harsh, with highs in the mid-20s and snow on about half the days from December through February. Olsen Lake is about 1.2 miles away and West Grouse Creek about 1.8 miles. Beaver Lake, a fishing spot, is about 4.5 miles off, and Halfmoon Campground is about 4.7 miles away.

Around this trail

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

    Halfmoon Campground

    Campground

    Campground · 4.7 mi from the trail

Places © OpenStreetMap contributors · Photos: Craig Talbert, CC BY 3.0 (commons)

More in Leadville

Go with a guide

  • Best time to go

    Best time to visit Grouse Mountain

    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, 20.6 mi away at 11,344 ft. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.

Keep exploring — more trails worth the drive

Notch MountainPhoto: kalestews, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)

Notch Mountain

~7 min drive

3.08-mile out-and-back trail in Colorado with 2,361 ft gain/loss and 12,993 ft max elevation.

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

Whiskey Creek

~8 min drive

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

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

Trail near Iron Mountain

~11 min drive

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

HIKE

Mount of the Holy Cross

~8 min drive

10.14-mile out-and-back hike in Colorado's White River National Forest with 3,902 ft elevation gain.

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

Grouse Lake

~8 min drive

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

Notch MountainPhoto: kalestews, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)

Notch Mountain

~10 min drive

5.78-mile out-and-back hike in Colorado's White River National Forest with 1,835 ft gain.

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

Davos Trail

~12 min drive

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

Halo Ridge TrailPhoto: kalestews, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)

Halo Ridge Trail

~8 min drive

5.38-mile out-and-back trail in Colorado with 2,837 ft elevation gain and loss.

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

Hay Meadow

~10 min drive

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

HIKE

Dead Dog

~8 min drive

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