Colorado · Hiking · James Peak Wilderness · Near Idaho Springs

Ute

UtePhoto: glennharper, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)
7.0 mi
round trip
1,343 ft
climb
12,438 ft
high point
Out and back
route

Is Ute 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.

The Ute is a hard hike in Colorado's James Peak Wilderness, part of the Boulder Ranger District of the Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests. The trail is an out-and-back that climbs about 1,343 feet over 7 miles, from a low point of 11,017 feet to a high of 12,438 feet. The Forest Service manages the land, and the trail is on natural surface, with horses allowed. The trip starts at the James Peak Lake Trailhead, and the open season runs from June 1 to November 15. That makes late spring and early fall the most comfortable times to go, when the weather is typically milder than in midsummer or winter. James Peak Lake, a mountain biking spot, sits about 0.6 miles away, and the James Peak Trail is about 0.9 miles off. Climbers can head to Under Loch and Key Boulder, roughly 1.8 miles away. For an overnight stay, Midland Group Campground is about 4.3 miles from the trail.

Around this trail

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

    East Portal Distributed Camping Area

    Campground

    Campground · 3.5 mi from the trail
  • If it rainsUser:Magicpiano, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

    Hamill House Museum

    Museum

    Museum · 11 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

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