Beautiful Hike Mount Elbert Peak – NE Ridge

Mount Elbert is located in the Sawatch Range and is the highest mountain in Colorado. It is also the second highest peak in the contiguous United States – just 63 feet short of Mount Whitney. And the Mt Elbert trailhead is located on Halfmoon Creek Road which happened to be where our home base was for two weeks. So to hike Mount Elbert Peak was an obvious choice of adventure for us. We timed our hike to the summit for when our friend Laura was going to be visiting. After a great time backpacking the Missouri and Fancy Lakes Loop we ended her visit with a bang – to hike Mount Elbert Peak at 14,433 feet.

Quick Info: Hike Mount Elbert Peak

Directions: From Leadville, travel 3.3 miles on US-24 South. Then turn right onto CO-300 W. After 0.8 mile, turn left onto Halfmoon Road and continue 1.3 miles before turning right to stay on Halfmoon Road. In about 5 miles the parking area to hike Mount Elbert is on the left.

Distance: 9.5 miles roundtrip

Total Elevation Gain: 4,700 feet

Difficulty: Strenuous

Trailhead: There is a large parking area that fills up early and clears out by the afternoon. Overflow parking is abundant and there is a pit toilet near the trailhead.

Good to Know: There are several forest service campgrounds along Halfmoon Road as well as plenty of dispersed camping options.

Our Hiking Experience

Because Mount Elbert is the highest mountain in Colorado, the trail to the summit stays consistently busy. Most people start summit hikes super early to be off of the mountain by noon or so in case a storm rolls in, as they often do. WHICH IS HIGHLY RECOMMENDED AND MUCH SAFER THAN BEING CAUGHT EXPOSED IN WEATHER.

Recently, we hiked to the top of Mount Massive which is the second highest mountain in Colorado (14,421). It was part of a backpacking trip so we didn’t get to the top super early but as a result we had the peak to ourselves and had an incredible experience. So we weren’t in a hurry to start hiking Mount Elbert since we’d checked the weather sky looked nice and sunny. We drove a couple miles from our camp spot to the trailhead and began to hike Mount Elbert Peak around 11 am.

The trail is very well travelled and begins with a mellow climb through the forest. Already, as we gained elevation we were treated with a view of Emerald Lake surrounded by pines down below.

Hike Mount Elbert Later – Pin it Now!

After some more mild climbing, the trail reaches a junction with the Colorado Trail. From here, the trail continues through the woods. Some of this climb is real gradual, some is a bit steeper. There are logs positioned along the trail creating steps along the way.

Eventually, the trail reaches a small crest and crosses back along the other side of the ridge. As we were making our way up, we were encountering a lot of people on their way down! We continued our climb through the woods, some sections causing a little huffing and puffing and some surprisingly mellow. When we were hiking Mount Massive the week previously and didn’t encounter any mellow!

Beyond the Tree Line

Finally, the trail steepened and we reached the tree line! From here, there wasn’t much talking as we took it one step at a time. But the views were everchanging and fantastic. The skies were starting to darken and the clouds were looking a bit ominous at this point. But we continued skyward!

As we were hiking Mount Elbert Peak, everyone that passed us on their way down were so friendly and positive. With the media’s portrayal of the world today, I really appreciated the great vibes and found them to be very motivating. And it could be that I have a more positive outlook when I’m out in nature doing what I love.

The climb continues! And it was definitely a steep hike at this point. The trail was always well defined and each slow step got us closer to the top and granted us breathtaking views.

As we got higher, the trail got more rocky but still easy to follow. We had about five minutes of rain before it stopped but it still felt like we were being naughty by continuing up.

We were gaining some serious elevation and the views continued to amaze! Then we reached a false peak. And then another one.

All Smiles At The Summit

But then we finally reached the summit! Little snowflakes began to fall around us – and we thought that was just awesome. And it felt great to be the highest people (on the ground) in Colorado at that moment!

Again, we had the summit to ourselves. And the views were seriously amazing in every direction! We were so thankful that we weren’t getting down poured on. After taking a bunch of pictures, we decided to head back down before we did get caught in some weather. The tree line was still quite a ways away!

Down We Go

As we were descending, a few other people were just making it to the summit. The descent was much quicker and easier on the cardio but of course there were many more steps that resulted in sliding. And on our way down we encountered way more marmots than we did on our way up! It feels like they inject happiness into my heart every time they interact with me. So freaking cute.

Making our way down allowed me to look up and take in the views down below that I didn’t turn around and see on our way up. It was so beautiful.

Eventually, we made it back down to the tree line and that’s where we stopped to eat our late lunch. Then we continued our way back down through the woods to the trailhead. Hiking to Mount Elbert Peak was a lot of work but the views and the accomplishment of a good adventure like this one are second to none.

Thanks for Reading About Our Adventure Hiking Mount Elbert Peak!

We have had such an amazing time hiking and exploring in Colorado! Every adventure has revealed beauty and ignited joy and excitement within us. Couldn’t ask for more! If you’d like to read about some of our other adventures in Colorado, check out the links below:

• Oh Be Joyful + Blue Lake
• Backpacking Missouri and Fancy Pass Loop
• North Halfmoon Lakes + Mount Massive Backpacking Trip

When we’re recovering from our adventures, we’re working on our unique hand painted longboards! Check out our latest lineup at our Lost Coast Longboarding Shop. We design and screen print our own shirts too – all while living full time on the road 🙂

And if you shop on Amazon, please use our Amazon link to get to Amazon. Then shop as you normally would and know that you’re helping us out a bit. Thank you!