Colorado · Hiking

Why Not Road

6.6 mi
round trip
1,635 ft
climb
9,070 ft
high point
Out and back
route
Jun–Sep
best months

Is Why Not Road open right now?

Closure in the area

There's a closure order in Hahns Peak-Bears Ears Ranger District. It doesn't name Why Not Road, 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.

Why Not Road is a hard hike in Colorado's Medicine Bow-Routt National Forest, on the Hahns Peak-Bears Ears Ranger District, about 6.5 miles long and with an elevation gain of 1,635 feet from the low point of 7,424 feet to the high of 9,070 feet. The Forest Service manages the land, and the trail is gravel, with biking allowed. Summer is the most comfortable time to go. Typical averages from the nearby Spicer, Colorado, weather station put July highs around 77°F with lows near 42°F, and temperatures on this route run cooler than those figures because the station sits a few hundred feet lower. The trail is open year-round. Zig Zag and Wrangler's Gulch Trail both start about a tenth of a mile away. Climbers can find Blob Rock about 1.6 miles off, and Dry Lake Campground is roughly 4.9 miles away.

Local outfitters

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

  • Best time to go · Jun–Sep

    Best time to visit Why Not Road

    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

      28° / 7°

      8 wet

    2. Feb

      31° / 9°

      8 wet

    3. Mar

      40° / 15°

      8 wet

    4. Apr

      49° / 23°

      9 wet

    5. May

      59° / 30°

      10 wet

    6. Jun

      71° / 36°

      8 wet

    7. Jul

      77° / 42°

      9 wet

    8. Aug

      76° / 40°

      11 wet

    9. Sep

      68° / 34°

      8 wet

    10. Oct

      55° / 25°

      7 wet

    11. Nov

      39° / 16°

      8 wet

    12. Dec

      29° / 9°

      8 wet

    Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Spicer, CO, 17.9 mi away at 8,385 ft. The station sits about 700 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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