Colorado · Hiking · Near Glenwood Springs

Main Elk

4.2 mi
round trip
1,604 ft
climb
7,812 ft
high point
Out and back
route
May–Jun, Aug–Sep
best months

Is Main Elk 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.

Main Elk is a moderate out-and-back hike in the Rifle Ranger District of Colorado's White River National Forest, about 4 miles from the Clinetop Trailhead. The trail rises from a low point of 6,196 feet to a high of 7,812 feet, with a total elevation gain of about 1,600 feet. The route is accessible and carries natural surface. Bikes and horses are both allowed, so it works for a range of visitors. Summer is the most comfortable time to go. Typical averages from a nearby weather station at Meeker put July highs around 87°F with lows near 50°F, while September cools to highs in the mid-70s. That station sits roughly 1,400 feet lower than the trail's high point, so temperatures up top run cooler. Climbers will find the West Wall: Pummeling Sector and the Gothodrome and Main Elk Creek climbing areas about 0.2 miles away. Hadley Gulch and Zig Zag are both within a mile.

Around this trail

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

    Elk Creek Campground

    Campground

    Campground · 5.3 mi from the trail
  • Eat after

    Elk Creek Bar & Grill

    Restaurant

    On your way back · 7 mi

Places © OpenStreetMap contributors

More in Glenwood Springs

Local outfitters

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

  • Best time to go · May–Jun, Aug–Sep

    Best time to visit Main Elk

    Best months: May–June and August–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

      34° / 8°

      9 wet

    2. Feb

      39° / 13°

      10 wet

    3. Mar

      50° / 23°

      10 wet

    4. Apr

      58° / 29°

      11 wet

    5. May

      69° / 36°

      10 wet

    6. Jun

      81° / 43°

      7 wet

    7. Jul

      87° / 50°

      9 wet

    8. Aug

      85° / 49°

      10 wet

    9. Sep

      76° / 41°

      9 wet

    10. Oct

      62° / 30°

      8 wet

    11. Nov

      47° / 20°

      9 wet

    12. Dec

      36° / 9°

      9 wet

    Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Meeker Ap, CO, 30.7 mi away at 6,390 ft. The station sits about 1,400 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

Squirrel TrailPhoto: Mike Allbee, CC BY-SA 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

Squirrel Trail

~12 min drive

0.94-mile loop trail in Colorado with 274 ft gain and 311 ft loss.

Bobcat TrailPhoto: iagoarchangel, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)

Bobcat Trail

~12 min drive

1.74-mile out-and-back trail in Colorado with 788 ft elevation gain

HIKE

Hadley Gulch

~1 min drive

10.38-mile out-and-back trail in Colorado's White River National Forest with 3,308 ft gain

HIKE

Zig Zag

~2 min drive

1.07-mile out-and-back trail in Colorado's White River National Forest with 718 ft gain.

Coulter Mesa State TrailPhoto: Mike Allbee, CC BY-SA 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

Coulter Mesa State Trail

~12 min drive

5.78-mile trail in Colorado with 1,200 ft elevation gain.

HIKE

East Elk Creek

~4 min drive

13.78-mile out-and-back trail in Colorado with 3,322 ft elevation gain.

HIKE

Cut-Off to Mansfield

~7 min drive

0.8-mile out-and-back trail in Colorado with 161 ft of elevation gain.

Storm King Mountain Memorial TrailPhoto: iagoarchangel, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)

Storm King Mountain Memorial Trail

~17 min drive

1.97-mile out-and-back hike in Colorado with 1,200 ft of elevation gain.

HIKE

Mansfield Ditch

~5 min drive

19 mi · Hard

HIKE

Clinetop Cow Camp

~7 min drive

6.53-mile out-and-back trail in Colorado's White River National Forest