Colorado · Hiking

Keystone Stables

Keystone StablesPhoto: zappowbang, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)
1.6 mi
round trip
158 ft
climb
9,721 ft
high point
Out and back
route
Jun–Jul
best months

Is Keystone Stables 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.

Keystone Stables is an easy, short hike in the Dillon Ranger District of Colorado's White River National Forest, about 1.6 miles long and roughly 158 feet of elevation gain one way. The trail is a natural-surface out-and-back, with the low point at 9,494 feet and the high at 9,721 feet. The Forest Service manages the land, and the trail is open year round. The route works for riders and riders of four-legged companions: the Forest Service trail records show that both bikes and horses are allowed, and the surface is natural. Summer is the most comfortable time to go. A nearby weather station at Dillon, about 3 miles away, records typical July averages of 75°F for the high and 38°F for the low, though that station sits roughly 650 feet below the trail, so temperatures on the route run cooler. The Keystone Stables Access trail starts about 0.2 miles away. Frey Gulch Road, a mountain biking route, is about 0.3 miles off. Climbers can head to Keystone a.k.a. Montezuma, about 1.7 miles away, and Lowry Campground offers camping about 2.3 miles from the trail.

Go with a guide

  • Best time to go · Jun–Jul

    Best time to visit Keystone Stables

    Best months: June–July. 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° / 1°

      12 wet

    2. Feb

      33° / 4°

      11 wet

    3. Mar

      41° / 10°

      11 wet

    4. Apr

      47° / 18°

      11 wet

    5. May

      58° / 26°

      10 wet

    6. Jun

      69° / 33°

      9 wet

    7. Jul

      75° / 38°

      12 wet

    8. Aug

      73° / 37°

      13 wet

    9. Sep

      66° / 30°

      10 wet

    10. Oct

      54° / 21°

      8 wet

    11. Nov

      41° / 11°

      9 wet

    12. Dec

      32° / 3°

      11 wet

    Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Dillon 1 E, CO, 2.9 mi away at 9,065 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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