Hoodoo Gap
- 6.8 mi
- round trip
- 1,753 ft
- climb
- 10,337 ft
- high point
- Out and back
- route
- Jun–Aug
- best months
Hoodoo Gap is a hard hike in Colorado's Paonia Ranger District, part of the Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre and Gunnison National Forests. The route is an out-and-back of about 6.8 miles, with a one-way elevation gain of 1,753 feet, taking you from a low point of 8,564 feet to a high of 10,337 feet. The Forest Service manages the land, and the trail is natural-surfaced, with horses allowed and bikes not. Summer is the most comfortable time to go. Typical averages from a nearby weather station at Crested Butte, which sits about 1,470 feet lower, show July highs around 76°F and lows near 40°F, with September still reaching about 66°F. Winter is cold, with January highs in the mid-20s and lows below zero. The trail is open from July 1 to September 30. The Curecanti hike starts just 0.1 mile away, and the Lone Cabin Tie-In is about 0.6 mile off. The Lone Cabin Trail and Little Elk Basin are both within about 4 miles.
Local outfitters
- Cedar Creek RV Park and Lodging32 mi away
- Maroon Bells Guide and Outfitters39 mi away
Not on Roamze yet. Their page has how to reach them.
- CurecantiHiking0.1 mi
- Lone Cabin Tie-InHiking0.6 mi
- Lone Cabin TrailHiking1.7 mi
- Little Elk BasinHiking3.8 mi
- Lone PineHiking3.9 mi
- Mt. Lamborn Summit TrailHiking4.2 mi
- Coal CreekCanoeing5.4 mi
- Cliff CreekCanoeing9.9 mi
Source: Roamze catalog (indexable pages within 10 miles, PostGIS distance)
Trail 860AHiking · ~9 min drivePhoto: Blake Patterson from Alexandria, VA, USA, CC BY 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)- Lone Cabin TrailHiking · ~3 min drive
- Elijah Park Trail 723Hiking · ~8 min drive
- Sink CreekHiking · ~11 min drive
- CurecantiHiking · Next door
- Little Elk BasinHiking · ~7 min drive
- East Flat Iron Trail 721Hiking · ~10 min drive
- Navajo RidgeHiking · ~9 min drive
- Lone PineHiking · ~7 min drive
- Coal Creek Mesa TrailHiking · ~10 min drive
Best time to visit Hoodoo Gap
Best months: June–August. 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.
Jan
26° / -7°
12 wet
Feb
29° / -2°
11 wet
Mar
38° / 7°
10 wet
Apr
47° / 19°
9 wet
May
58° / 28°
8 wet
Jun
70° / 34°
7 wet
Jul
76° / 40°
10 wet
Aug
74° / 38°
12 wet
Sep
66° / 31°
9 wet
Oct
54° / 22°
8 wet
Nov
39° / 9°
9 wet
Dec
27° / -4°
11 wet
Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Crested Butte, CO, 25 mi away at 8,867 ft. The station sits about 1,500 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.
