Mcqueary Ridge
- 2.9 mi
- round trip
- 46 ft
- climb
- 10,395 ft
- high point
- Out and back
- route
- Jun–Aug
- best months
Is Mcqueary Ridge open right now?
Alert in the area
The Forest Service lists 3 alerts for Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests.
Fire Restrictions
Agency alert covering Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests · USFS · Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests
Fire Restrictions
Agency alert covering Sulphur Ranger District · USFS · Sulphur Ranger District
Permanent Recreational Shooting Order
Agency alert covering Sulphur Ranger District · Order 02-10-00-25-02 · USFS · Sulphur Ranger District
As of · Source: USFS · Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.
McQueary Ridge is an easy out-and-back hike in Colorado's Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests, on the Sulphur Ranger District. The trail is about 2.9 miles long and rises about 46 feet from its low point of 10,248 feet to a high of 10,395 feet. The Forest Service manages the land, and the trailhead is named McQueary Ridge Trailhead. The route is rated easy, with a natural surface that allows horses and bikes. It is not an accessible trail. Summer is the most comfortable time to go. Typical averages from a nearby weather station show July highs around 73°F and lows near 40°F, though that station sits well below the ridge and temperatures on the ridge run cooler. The trail is open from June 1 to November 15. Drowsy Water is about 0.6 miles away, and Elk Mountain and Wheatley Creek Cut Off are both within about 3.6 miles. Sawmill Gulch Campground, about 5.2 miles off, is the closest place to camp.
Local outfitters
- Rancho Del Rio32 mi away
- Camp Always Choose Adventures38 mi away
Not on Roamze yet. Their page has how to reach them.
- Drowsy WaterHiking0.6 mi
Elk MountainHikingPhoto: Jeffrey Beall — Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 4.0)3.3 mi- Wheatley Creek Cut OffHiking3.6 mi
- Sawmill Gulch CampgroundCamping5.2 mi
- Denver Creek CampgroundCamping6.6 mi
- Windy GapRock climbing6.7 mi
Willow CreekCanoeingPhoto: Jeffrey Beall, CC BY 4.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)7.2 mi- East Fork Troublesome CreekCanoeing7.2 mi
Source: Roamze catalog (indexable pages within 10 miles, PostGIS distance)
Beaver Line TrailHiking · ~16 min drivePhoto: Maria Vorontsova, Public Domain Dedication (CC0) (via Flickr)- Elk MountainHiking · ~6 min drive
- Drowsy WaterHiking · ~1 min drive
- BEAVER CREEKHiking · ~16 min drive
Trail Creek Spur TrailHiking · ~16 min drivePhoto: Maria Vorontsova, Public Domain Dedication (CC0) (via Flickr)- Wheatley CreekHiking · ~6 min drive
- Paradise CreekHiking · ~13 min drive
- LITTLE GRAVEL MOUNTAIN SPURHiking · ~12 min drive
- TRAIL CREEK SPURHiking · ~16 min drivePhoto: Maria Vorontsova, Public Domain Dedication (CC0) (via Flickr)
- Buffalo CreekHiking · ~11 min drive
Best time to visit Mcqueary Ridge
Best months: June–August. 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.
Jan
29° / 3°
11 wet
Feb
30° / 5°
11 wet
Mar
38° / 12°
10 wet
Apr
45° / 20°
10 wet
May
55° / 27°
9 wet
Jun
67° / 33°
8 wet
Jul
73° / 40°
10 wet
Aug
72° / 38°
11 wet
Sep
64° / 31°
9 wet
Oct
51° / 22°
8 wet
Nov
38° / 12°
10 wet
Dec
30° / 4°
12 wet
Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Gould 4se Sfsp, CO, 24.5 mi away at 9,000 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.
