Portal Campground
Campground
Campground · 3.9 mi from the trail
Colorado · Hiking · Near Leadville
Mountain Boy
Photo: Toshihiro Matsui, CC BY-SA 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)- 1.2 mi
- round trip
- 1,921 ft
- climb
- 11,580 ft
- high point
- Out and back
- route
Is MOUNTAIN BOY open right now?
Road closed
CO 82: road closure is listed as closed by CDOT 511 (3 listed).
CO 82: road closure
Closed · ~0.7 km from MOUNTAIN BOY · CDOT 511
CO 82: Independence Pass
Closed · ~4.0 km from MOUNTAIN BOY · CDOT 511
CO 82: road closure
Closed · ~0.0 km from MOUNTAIN BOY · CDOT 511
Willow Fire Area Closure
Agency closure covering Leadville Ranger District · Order 02-12-01-26-39 · USFS · Leadville Ranger District
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
As of · Source: CDOT 511. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.
Mountain Boy is a moderate out-and-back hike in the Leadville Ranger District of the Pike and San Isabel National Forests in Colorado, managed by the Forest Service. The trail is about 2.4 miles long, with a total elevation gain of 1,921 feet, and the high point reaches about 11,580 feet. The climb is rolling, and the steepest stretch comes at about the 1-mile mark, where the grade reaches 43%. Summer is the most comfortable time to go. Typical averages from the nearby Climax weather station show July highs around 67°F with lows near 40°F, and snow is common from November through April. Independance Pass Overlook and Deer Mountain are both within about 2 miles. Portal Campground is about 4 miles away, and Instant Karma Cliff, a climbing area, is about 2.5 miles off.
Around this trail
Add any of these when you start a tripSleep close Eat after Punky's
Fast food
On your way back · 8 mi
If it rainsLongled, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia CommonsHistoric frontier synagogue building
Places © OpenStreetMap contributors · Photos: Longled, CC BY-SA 3.0 (commons)
More in LeadvilleGo with a guide
- Mineral Belt Trail Guided WalkRoamze · $25 per person · 17 mi away
- Taylor Park Trading Post18 mi away
Best time to go
Best time to visit MOUNTAIN BOY
No month here meets our mild-weather rule. 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
27° / 3°
15 wet · 15 snow
Feb
29° / 3°
15 wet · 15 snow
Mar
35° / 8°
14 wet · 14 snow
Apr
40° / 15°
13 wet · 13 snow
May
49° / 25°
10 wet · 8 snow
Jun
61° / 34°
8 wet · 2 snow
Jul
67° / 40°
13 wet
Aug
64° / 39°
15 wet
Sep
58° / 32°
11 wet · 2 snow
Oct
47° / 21°
9 wet · 7 snow
Nov
35° / 11°
12 wet · 12 snow
Dec
27° / 3°
15 wet · 15 snow
Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Climax, CO, 26.9 mi away at 11,344 ft. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.
Closures we've recorded since August 2026
CO 82: Independence Pass closed
closed Oct 31, 2026, no reopening recorded · State DOT
CO 82: Independence Pass closed
closed Oct 31, 2026 → reopened Oct 31, 2026 · State DOT
Keep exploring — more trails worth the drive
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