Colorado · Hiking · Mount Zirkel Wilderness

Main Fork

12.6 mi
round trip
1,615 ft
climb
9,811 ft
high point
Out and back
route
Jun–Sep
best months

Is Main Fork open right now?

Closure in the area

There's a closure order in Hahns Peak-Bears Ears Ranger District. It doesn't name Main Fork, so check the source for the area it covers.

As of · Source: USFS · Hahns Peak-Bears Ears Ranger District. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.

Main Fork is a hard hike of about 12.6 miles in the Mount Zirkel Wilderness, part of the Hahns Peak-Bears Ears Ranger District of Medicine Bow-Routt National Forest in Colorado. The trail rises from about 8,682 feet to about 9,811 feet, with a one-way gain of 1,615 feet. The route is a natural-surfaced out-and-back, and horses are allowed. The Forest Service manages the land, and the trail lies within designated wilderness. Summer is the most comfortable time to go. Typical averages from the nearby Spicer, CO weather station, run to highs in the upper 70s in July, with lows around 42°F. That station sits well below the trail, so expect temperatures on the ridge to run cooler. Gem Lake is about a mile away, and the Main Fork Trail is about 2 miles off. Mica Basin, a climbing area, and North Fork Elk Creek, a paddling route, both lie within about 4 miles.

Local outfitters

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