Colorado · Hiking

Storm Peak Challenge

Storm Peak ChallengePhoto: Flyinace2000, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)
4.4 mi
round trip
1,312 ft
climb
10,369 ft
high point
Out and back
route
Jun–Aug
best months

Is Storm Peak Challenge open right now?

Closure in the area

There's a closure order in Hahns Peak-Bears Ears Ranger District. It doesn't name Storm Peak Challenge, so check the source for the area it covers.

As of · Source: USFS · Hahns Peak-Bears Ears Ranger District. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.

The Storm Peak Challenge is a 4.4-mile out-and-back hike in Colorado's Medicine Bow-Routt National Forest, on the Hahns Peak-Bears Ears Ranger District. The Forest Service manages the land, and the trail runs on gravel, with biking allowed. It gains about 1,300 feet, from a low point of 9,052 feet to a high of 10,369 feet. Summer is the most comfortable time to go. Typical averages from a nearby weather station at about 9,000 feet show July highs around 73°F and lows near 40°F. That station sits roughly 1,300 feet below the high point, so temperatures on top run cooler. The route starts close to Moonlight and the Vista Nature Trail, both about 0.2 miles away. Climbers can head to Blob Rock, about 2.4 miles off, and Granite Campground, about 4.9 miles away, offers a place to stay.

Local outfitters

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

  • Best time to go · Jun–Aug

    Best time to visit Storm Peak Challenge

    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

      29° / 3°

      11 wet

    2. Feb

      30° / 5°

      11 wet

    3. Mar

      38° / 12°

      10 wet

    4. Apr

      45° / 20°

      10 wet

    5. May

      55° / 27°

      9 wet

    6. Jun

      67° / 33°

      8 wet

    7. Jul

      73° / 40°

      10 wet

    8. Aug

      72° / 38°

      11 wet

    9. Sep

      64° / 31°

      9 wet

    10. Oct

      51° / 22°

      8 wet

    11. Nov

      38° / 12°

      10 wet

    12. Dec

      30° / 4°

      12 wet

    Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Gould 4se Sfsp, CO, 40.2 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.

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