Colorado · Hiking

Indian Run

5.8 mi
round trip
698 ft
climb
8,964 ft
high point
Out and back
route
May–Sep
best months

Is Indian Run open right now?

Alert in the area

The Forest Service lists 3 alerts for Medicine Bow-Routt National Forest.

As of · Source: USFS · Medicine Bow-Routt National Forest. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.

Indian Run is an easy out-and-back hike in Colorado's Medicine Bow-Routt National Forest, within the Yampa Ranger District. The trail is about 5.8 miles long, with a one-way elevation gain of 698 feet, taking you from a low point of about 8,086 feet to a high of about 8,964 feet. The Forest Service manages the land, and the trail is open year-round. The route is natural-surfaced and allows both horses and bikes, so it works for riders and pack animals as well as hikers. Summer is the most comfortable time to go. Typical averages from the nearby Yampa weather station show July highs around 79°F with lows near 46°F, and the station sits roughly 1,100 feet below the trail's high point, so temperatures on the ridge run cooler. Indian Run Campground is about 3.9 miles away, and the Elk Draw hike starts just 0.6 miles off. Paddlers can reach the South Fork Williams Fork about 2.2 miles away, and the Stinsby hike is about 1.7 miles from the trail.

Local outfitters

Not on Roamze yet. Their page has how to reach them.

  • Best time to go · May–Sep

    Best time to visit Indian Run

    Best months: May–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

      32° / 7°

      12 wet

    2. Feb

      34° / 9°

      11 wet

    3. Mar

      43° / 17°

      10 wet

    4. Apr

      52° / 24°

      11 wet

    5. May

      62° / 33°

      10 wet

    6. Jun

      74° / 40°

      8 wet

    7. Jul

      79° / 46°

      10 wet

    8. Aug

      77° / 45°

      11 wet

    9. Sep

      70° / 37°

      9 wet

    10. Oct

      57° / 27°

      8 wet

    11. Nov

      42° / 17°

      9 wet

    12. Dec

      32° / 8°

      11 wet

    Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Yampa, CO, 25.9 mi away at 7,857 ft. The station sits about 1,100 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.