Colorado · Hiking · Eagles Nest Wilderness

Upper Piney

Upper PineyPhoto: jl_2, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)
5.9 mi
round trip
500 ft
climb
9,863 ft
high point
Out and back
route
Jun–Sep
best months

Is Upper Piney open right now?

Alert in the area

The Forest Service lists 6 alerts for White River National Forest.

As of · Source: USFS · White River National Forest. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.

Upper Piney is a moderate out-and-back hike in the Eagles Nest Wilderness, part of the Holy Cross Ranger District of White River National Forest in Colorado. The Forest Service manages the land, and the trail is about 6 miles long, with a one-way climb of about 500 feet from a low point of roughly 9,355 feet to a high of about 9,863 feet. The route is on natural surface, and horses are allowed. Bikes are not. The trail sits within designated wilderness, so plan for a backcountry experience. Summer is the most comfortable time to go. Typical averages from a nearby weather station in Vail show July highs around 77°F with lows near 42°F, and the station sits well below the trail, so temperatures on the route run cooler. Mount Powell and the Soda Lakes Trail both lie about 0.3 miles away. Piney Designated Dispersed Site is about 1.3 miles off, and the Piney River, a canoeing spot, is about 5.6 miles away.

Go with a guide

  • Best time to go · Jun–Sep

    Best time to visit Upper Piney

    Best months: June–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.

    1. Jan

      29° / 7°

      12 wet

    2. Feb

      33° / 9°

      11 wet

    3. Mar

      42° / 17°

      10 wet

    4. Apr

      49° / 24°

      9 wet

    5. May

      60° / 31°

      9 wet

    6. Jun

      71° / 36°

      8 wet

    7. Jul

      77° / 42°

      10 wet

    8. Aug

      74° / 41°

      11 wet

    9. Sep

      67° / 34°

      9 wet

    10. Oct

      54° / 25°

      7 wet

    11. Nov

      38° / 15°

      9 wet

    12. Dec

      28° / 7°

      11 wet

    Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Vail, CO, 6.2 mi away at 8,304 ft. The station sits about 1,600 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.

Keep exploring — more trails worth the drive

Mount PowellPhoto: jl_2, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)

Mount Powell

Next door

Route to the summit of Mount Powell (13,586 ft) from Piney River Ranch.

East Meadow CreekPhoto: jl_2, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)

East Meadow Creek

~2 min drive

13.94-mile out-and-back trail in Colorado with 1,185 ft of elevation gain.

Soda Lakes TrailPhoto: jl_2, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)

Soda Lakes Trail

Next door

0.93-mile out-and-back hike in Colorado's White River National Forest with 315 ft gain.

Lost Lake to PineyPhoto: jl_2, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)

Lost Lake to Piney

~2 min drive

3.14-mile out-and-back trail from Lost Lake to Piney in Colorado's White River National Forest.

West Partner PeakPhoto: toastal_OLD, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)

West Partner Peak

~11 min drive

Route to the summit of West Partner Peak (13,054 ft) from the trailhead.

Lost LakePhoto: jl_2, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)

Lost Lake

~2 min drive

8.45-mile out-and-back trail to Lost Lake in Colorado, 227 ft gain, 10,263 ft max elevation

HIKE

East Meadow Creek Connect

~3 min drive

1.18-mile out-and-back trail in Colorado's White River National Forest with 4 ft of elevation gain.

HIKE

Middle Creek

~4 min drive

Middle Creek is a 1.64-mile out-and-back trail in Colorado with 819 feet of elevation gain.

Upper Piney Lake TrailPhoto: jl_2, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)

Upper Piney Lake Trail

~3 min drive

4.74-mile trail in Colorado with 1,200 ft gain and 10,800 ft max elevation

HIKE

Middle Creek Canyon

~4 min drive

Middle Creek Canyon is a 0.57-mile out-and-back trail in Colorado.