Colorado · Hiking · Near Pitkin

Mount Princeton

Photo: wohnai, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)

10.1 mi
round trip: 4,568 ft
climb: 14,204 ft
high point: Out and back
route

Starting from

CR 322A pull-offs (11,000 ft)High-clearance 4WD3.7 mi shorter round trip: you drive that road, 1,199 ft less climbRadio towers (10,800 ft)High-clearance 4WD3.0 mi shorter round trip: you drive that road, 1,000 ft less climbMt. Princeton Road TrailheadHigh-clearance 4WDThe route starts here

Road status unknown

We don't have a road status for this stretch.

The 2WD trailhead is lower, at 8,900 ft on CR 322 (14ers.com).

14ers.com East Slopes · checked 2026-10-24

Check the road before you drive it; conditions change faster than any map.

Is Mount Princeton open right now?

Alert in the area

The Forest Service lists 7 alerts for Pike and San Isabel National Forests.

FSR 286, Radical Hill, is closed due to washouts and unsafe conditions
Agency alert covering Pike and San Isabel National Forests · USFS · Pike and San Isabel National Forests
Interlaken Hotel Tree Hazards
Agency alert covering Pike and San Isabel National Forests · USFS · Pike and San Isabel National Forests
Sharpe Fire Update
Agency alert covering Pike and San Isabel National Forests · USFS · Pike and San Isabel National Forests
Turquoise Lake Road (County Road 4) Closure
Agency alert covering Pike and San Isabel National Forests · USFS · Pike and San Isabel National Forests
Food Storage Prohibitions on Pike-San Isabel National Forests
Agency alert covering Pike and San Isabel National Forests · Order 02-12-00-23-07 · USFS · Pike and San Isabel National Forests

As of Nov 9, 6:15 PM MST · Source: USFS · Pike and San Isabel National Forests. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.

Mount Princeton is a 10-mile out-and-back climb that rises from about 9,800 feet to the summit at 14,204 feet, with a total elevation gain of 4,568 feet. The trailhead is on Mt. Princeton Road in the Salida Ranger District of the Pike and San Isabel National Forests in Colorado, where the Forest Service manages the land. This is an expert-level route. The climb is long and steep, so plan on a full day with time to rest and take in the high-country setting. The trip begins at the Mt. Princeton Road Trailhead. Tigger Peak sits about 0.7 miles away, and Bootleg Campground and Mt. Princeton Campground are both within about 3 miles. Climbers can find the Chalk Creek Boulder, also known as Boulder of Sorrow, roughly 3 miles off.

Around this trail

Add any of these when you start a trip

Sleep close
Chalk Creek Canyon
Campground
Campground · 1.8 mi from the trail
Eat after
Mountain Spirit Winery Ltd.
Brewery
Brewery · 14 mi from Pitkin
If it rains
Evans Firewall & Savard Building
Museum
On your way back · 9 mi

Places © OpenStreetMap contributors

Go with a guide

Mineral Belt Trail Guided WalkRoamze · $25 per person · 35 mi away
Mt. Princeton RV Park9 mi away

Keep exploring — more trails worth the drive

Photo: kalestews, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)

Tigger Peak

~1 min drive

Route to the summit of Tigger Peak (13,272 ft) from Mt Princeton.

Photo: oxtopus, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)

Cascade Creek Trail

~5 min drive

0.87-mile loop with 212 ft gain in Colorado's Pike and San Isabel National Forests

Photo: cogdogblog, Public Domain Dedication (CC0) (via Flickr)

Crank n' Hammer Trail

~14 min drive

5.12-mile out-and-back trail in Colorado with 851 ft elevation gain and loss.

Photo: twslivxe26, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)

Mount Columbia

~17 min drive

Standard route to Mount Columbia (14,077 ft) from North Cottonwood Creek.

Photo: jaygannett, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)

Iron Chest Mine Trail

~15 min drive

5.36-mile out-and-back hike in Colorado with 3,166 ft elevation gain/loss.

Photo: Nholifield, CC BY 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

Yansing (Chinaman) Gulch Trail 6043

~11 min drive

2.92-mile out-and-back trail in Colorado with 916 ft elevation gain and loss.

Photo: JenTravelsLife, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)

North Trail

~14 min drive

1.64-mile out-and-back trail in Colorado with 825 ft elevation gain

Photo: twslivxe26, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)

Mount Harvard

~17 min drive

Standard route to Mount Harvard (14,421 ft) from North Cottonwood Creek.

Photo: kalestews, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)

Mt. Princeton

~4 min drive

3.97-mile out-and-back trail in Colorado reaching 14,171 ft.

Photo: markbyzewski, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)

Few Dollars More Trail

~12 min drive

2.28-mile out-and-back trail in Colorado with 547 ft elevation gain

Also worth it near here

RIDE

Colorado

Next door

Photo: Fredlyfish4, CC BY-SA 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

Agnes Vaille Falls

~5 min drive

Photo: David Herrera from Albuquerque, NM, Bernalillo, CC BY 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

Mount Princeton

~5 min drive

Photo: oxtopus, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)

Chalk Creek Boulder aka Boulder of Sorrow

~5 min drive

Route details

Distance: 10.1 mi round trip
Climbing: About 4,568 ft
Starts at: Mt. Princeton Road Trailhead (about 9,804 ft)
Summit: 14,197 ft
Difficulty: Expert

Other routes up Mount Princeton

Mt. Princeton

Questions about this route

How long is the Mount Princeton on Mount Princeton?

About 10.1 mi round trip from Mt. Princeton Road Trailhead (about 9,804 ft).

How much elevation gain is on the Mount Princeton?

About 4,568 ft of climbing round trip.

How hard is the Mount Princeton?

It is rated expert.

Where does the Mount Princeton start?

Mt. Princeton Road Trailhead (about 9,804 ft).

How many routes go up Mount Princeton?

2: Mount Princeton and Mt. Princeton.

Conditions and forecast on Mount Princeton

Daily highs and lows, wind and the chance of precipitation at the summit and route start for the next 7 days, from the Open-Meteo model.