Colorado · Hiking · Near Idaho Springs

Kearney Gulch

Kearney GulchPhoto: roland, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)
3.5 mi
round trip
1,232 ft
climb
11,099 ft
high point
Out and back
route
Jun, Sep
best months

Is Kearney Gulch open right now?

Alert in the area

The Forest Service lists 3 alerts for Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests.

As of · Source: USFS · Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.

Kearney Gulch is a 3.5-mile out-and-back hike on natural trail in the Clear Creek Ranger District of the Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests in Colorado. The route climbs from about 9,864 feet to 11,099 feet, and it is rated hard, so plan for a steep, consistent climb over the course of the trip. The Forest Service manages the land, and the trail allows horses and bikes. Summer is the most comfortable time to go. Typical averages from a nearby weather station at Cabin Creek put July highs around 69°F with lows near 46°F, though that station sits roughly 1,000 feet below the trail's high point, so temperatures up high run cooler. The trail is open from June 1 through September 30. The nearest neighbors are Watrous Gulch, about 1.7 miles away, and Bard Creek, about 2 miles away. Climbers can find West Slabs about 4.3 miles off, and Mizpah Campground is about 6.4 miles away.

Around this trail

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

    Mizpah Campground

    Campground

    Campground · 6.4 mi from the trail
  • Eat after

    511 Rose

    Restaurant

    On your way back · 7 mi
  • If it rainsUser:Magicpiano, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

    Hamill House Museum

    Museum

    On your way back · 7 mi

    Historic house-museum in Georgetown, Colorado, United States

Places © OpenStreetMap contributors · Photos: User:Magicpiano, CC BY-SA 4.0 (commons)

More in Idaho Springs

Go with a guide

  • Best time to go · Jun, Sep

    Best time to visit Kearney Gulch

    Best months: June and 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° / 12°

      8 wet

    2. Feb

      31° / 11°

      8 wet

    3. Mar

      38° / 17°

      9 wet

    4. Apr

      43° / 23°

      10 wet

    5. May

      53° / 31°

      9 wet

    6. Jun

      64° / 40°

      9 wet

    7. Jul

      69° / 46°

      13 wet

    8. Aug

      67° / 44°

      14 wet

    9. Sep

      61° / 38°

      10 wet

    10. Oct

      50° / 29°

      7 wet

    11. Nov

      39° / 19°

      7 wet

    12. Dec

      32° / 12°

      8 wet

    Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Cabin Creek, CO, 6.4 mi away at 10,020 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.

Keep exploring — more trails worth the drive

Watrous GulchPhoto: kalestews, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)

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~3 min drive

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Grays PeakPhoto: MCA / Mike Allyn, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)

Grays Peak

~5 min drive

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