Colorado · Hiking · Lost Creek Wilderness

Ute Creek

8.2 mi
round trip
1,976 ft
climb
11,171 ft
high point
Out and back
route
Jun–Sep
best months

Is Ute Creek open right now?

Alert in the area

The Forest Service lists 8 alerts for Pike and San Isabel National Forests.

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

Ute Creek is a hard hike in Colorado's Lost Creek Wilderness, part of the South Park Ranger District of the Pike and San Isabel National Forests. The trail is an out-and-back that climbs from about 8,740 feet to 11,171 feet, a gain of 1,976 feet over 8.2 miles. The Forest Service manages the land, and the trail is natural-surfaced and open to horses. Summer is the most comfortable time to go. Typical averages from a nearby weather station at Fairplay run to highs around 71°F in July and 68°F in August, with lows in the low 40s. That station sits about 1,200 feet below the trail's high point, so temperatures on the ridge run cooler. The trail is open year-round, and the parking area is named Ute Creek. The route is rated hard, so plan for a long, steep day. Horses are allowed, but bikes are not. Nearby, Inventions in Nature offers climbing about 4 miles away, and Twin Eagles Campground and Brookside-McCurdy are both within 5 miles. Paddlers can find Lost Creek about 6 miles off.

Go with a guide