Colorado · Hiking · Hunter-Fryingpan Wilderness · Near Leadville

Hunter Creek

8.8 mi
round trip
707 ft
climb
10,434 ft
high point
Out and back
route
Jun–Aug
best months

Caution at last check

Agency alerts are in effect for this area; weather is good · USFS, OpenWeather · checked 18 h ago

Is Hunter Creek 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.

Hunter Creek is an out-and-back hike in Colorado's Hunter-Fryingpan Wilderness, on the Aspen Ranger District of the White River National Forest. The Forest Service manages the land, and the trail runs for about 8.8 miles with a total elevation gain of 707 feet. The route starts at a low point of about 10,000 feet and climbs to a high of about 10,434 feet, making it a hard hike that suits hikers with a strong pace and a plan for the full day. The trail is a natural-surface path, and horses are allowed. Bikes are not. The trail is open year-round, so plan for conditions that change with the season. Summer is the most comfortable time to go. A nearby weather station records typical July averages of about 73°F for the high and 39°F for the low, and it sits roughly 700 feet below the trail. Temperatures on the route run cooler. Winter is cold, with typical January highs around 31°F and lows near 3°F. Slab Park lies about half a mile away. The Bald Knob mountain biking area is about 1.4 miles off. Farther out, the Roaring Fork River offers canoeing, and Difficult Group Campground is about 5.5 miles away.

Around this trail

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

    Difficult Group Campground

    Campground

    Campground · 5.5 mi from the trail
  • Eat after

    High Mountain Pies

    Restaurant

    On your way back · 24 mi · Open after 6
  • If it rainsLongled, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons

    Temple Israel

    Museum

    In town

    Historic frontier synagogue building

Places © OpenStreetMap contributors · Photos: Longled, CC BY-SA 3.0 (commons)

More in Leadville

Go with a guide

  • Best time to go · Jun–Aug

    Best time to visit Hunter Creek

    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.

    1. Jan

      31° / 3°

      8 wet

    2. Feb

      33° / 3°

      8 wet

    3. Mar

      39° / 9°

      8 wet

    4. Apr

      44° / 18°

      8 wet

    5. May

      55° / 27°

      9 wet

    6. Jun

      68° / 34°

      9 wet

    7. Jul

      73° / 39°

      12 wet

    8. Aug

      70° / 38°

      12 wet

    9. Sep

      62° / 31°

      8 wet

    10. Oct

      51° / 23°

      6 wet

    11. Nov

      39° / 14°

      7 wet

    12. Dec

      31° / 6°

      7 wet

    Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Sugarloaf Rsvr, CO, 19.4 mi away at 9,738 ft. The station sits about 700 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.

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Also worth it near here

SEE

McNamara Hut

~2 min drive

SEE

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Lazy Man Short CutPhoto: RCHop, CC BY 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

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East Of Aspen TrailPhoto: This Photo was taken by Wolfgang Moroder. Feel free to use my photos, but please mention me as the author and send me a message. This image is not in the public domain. Please respect the copyright protection. It may only be used according to the rules mentioned here. This specifically excludes use in social media, if applicable terms of the licenses listed here not appropriate. Please do not upload an updated image here without consultation with the Author. The author would like to make corrections only at his own source. This ensures that the changes are preserved.Please if you think that any changes should be required, please inform the author.Otherwise you can upload a new image with a new name. Please use one of the templates derivative or extract., CC BY-SA 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

East Of Aspen Trail

~8 min drive