Smuggler Loop
Photo: Lorie Shaull, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)- 0.4 mi
- round trip
- 256 ft
- climb
- 9,039 ft
- high point
- Out and back
- route
- May–Sep
- best months
Is Smuggler Loop open right now?
Alert in the area
The Forest Service lists 6 alerts for White River National Forest.
FSR 286, Radical Hill, is closed due to washouts and unsafe conditions
Agency alert covering White River National Forest · USFS · White River National Forest
Limited parking at Snowmass Creek Trailhead
Agency alert covering White River National Forest · USFS · White River National Forest
Grizzly Creek Trail Closure
Agency alert covering White River National Forest · Order 2026-02 · USFS · White River National Forest
Ruedi Marina Day Use area Dump Station is CLOSED
Agency alert covering White River National Forest · USFS · White River National Forest
Asbestos safety closure - Camp Hale
Agency alert covering White River National Forest · USFS · White River National Forest
As of · Source: USFS · White River National Forest. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.
Smuggler Loop is a short out-and-back trail in Colorado covering 0.7 miles with 256 feet of elevation gain. The trail reaches a maximum elevation of 9,039 feet.
Go with a guide
- Mineral Belt Trail Guided WalkRoamze · $25 per person · 27 mi away
- Maroon Bells Guide and Outfitters5 mi away
- Nearby · Hunter Valley · Upper Hunter Valley · Ajax Trail
Best time to go · May–Sep
Best time to visit Smuggler Loop
Best months: May–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.
Jan
32° / 10°
13 wet
Feb
35° / 13°
12 wet
Mar
43° / 20°
12 wet
Apr
50° / 27°
12 wet
May
60° / 35°
11 wet
Jun
71° / 42°
8 wet
Jul
76° / 48°
11 wet
Aug
73° / 47°
12 wet
Sep
67° / 40°
10 wet
Oct
55° / 30°
9 wet
Nov
42° / 19°
10 wet
Dec
32° / 10°
12 wet
Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Aspen 1sw, CO, 2.5 mi away at 8,175 ft. The station sits about 900 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.
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HIKE
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Map and trail data © OpenStreetMap contributors
