Colorado · Hiking · Near Idaho Springs

South Fork Loop

5.6 mi
round trip
242 ft
climb
9,149 ft
high point
Out and back
route
Jun–Aug
best months

Is South Fork Loop open right now?

Alert in the area

The Forest Service lists 3 alerts for Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests.

As of · Source: USFS · Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.

South Fork Loop is a 5.6-mile out-and-back hike in the Sulphur Ranger District of the Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests in Colorado, managed by the Forest Service. The trail is rated moderate, with a total elevation gain of 242 feet, and it runs on natural surface. The route starts and ends at about 8,893 feet and reaches a high point of about 9,149 feet. Summer is the most comfortable time to go. Typical averages from the nearby Fraser weather station, which sits a few hundred feet lower, show July highs around 77°F with lows near 38°F, while winter highs stay around 31°F. The trail is horse-friendly, and the Serendipity Trail and Crosstrails mountain biking routes both lie about 0.1 mile away. Idlewild Campground is about 1.9 miles off, and the Fraser River offers canoeing about 2.1 miles away.

Around this trail

Add any of these when you start a trip
  • Sleep close

    Idlewild Campground

    Campground

    Campground · 1.9 mi from the trail
  • Eat after

    Carvers Daytime Eatery And Bar

    Restaurant

    On your way back · 1 mi
  • If it rainsUser:Magicpiano, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

    Hamill House Museum

    Museum

    Museum · 16 mi from Idaho Springs

    Historic house-museum in Georgetown, Colorado, United States

Places © OpenStreetMap contributors · Photos: User:Magicpiano, CC BY-SA 4.0 (commons)

More in Idaho Springs

Local outfitters

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

  • Best time to go · Jun–Aug

    Best time to visit South Fork Loop

    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.

    1. Jan

      31° / -1°

      11 wet

    2. Feb

      34° / 2°

      10 wet

    3. Mar

      43° / 11°

      9 wet

    4. Apr

      51° / 20°

      8 wet

    5. May

      62° / 27°

      7 wet

    6. Jun

      72° / 33°

      6 wet

    7. Jul

      77° / 38°

      9 wet

    8. Aug

      74° / 37°

      10 wet

    9. Sep

      68° / 29°

      8 wet

    10. Oct

      56° / 21°

      7 wet

    11. Nov

      41° / 10°

      8 wet

    12. Dec

      31° / -1°

      10 wet

    Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Fraser, CO, 2.5 mi away at 8,560 ft. The station sits about 600 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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Map and trail data © OpenStreetMap contributors