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This is one of the shortest routes to hike to the top of Pikes Peak. This trek has been used by the older boy program at Camp Chris Dobbins in past years because it can be completed in one day. The distance is 14 miles round trip instead of 26 miles on the Barr Trail. If you are interested in camping there is The Crags CG located near the trailhead. The elevation gain from the trailhead is 4100'. How to get there: Take I-25 south to Colorado Springs, exit on US 24 west, and drive through Woodland Park to Divide. Turn south on CO67 and pass the Mueller State Park entrance at 3.8 miles. At 4.1 miles on the east side of CO67 is the entrance to FSR383 (the road number is not noted on the 1992 edition of Pike Nt. Forest Map), this is the road to The Crags Trailhead. The road is not well marked except for two small signs; one to The Crags CG, the other to the Rocky Mountain Mennonite Camp. Take FSR383 for 1.6 miles, you will pass the entrance to the Rocky Mountain Camp; continue on the main road another 1.6 miles to the entrance to The Crags CG and another .3 miles to the trailhead on the east side of the campground. The trail: Take The Crags Trail east for 600 feet, at that point, you can see, on the left side of the trail, three water containers of different diameters. Continue another 100 feet; on the right side of the trail, you see two converging creeks only a few feet from the trail. These creeks come from two drainages; you need to take the creek from the south drainage. Cross the first creek, coming from the north drainage, so that you are between the two creeks. Look for an old rocky road that goes east along the north side of the southern creek. Finding this old road is the key to this route. Take the old road east for about a mile. At this point the road crosses the southern creek twice; look for a large block of rock to the north at the second crossing as a landmark. The drainage east opens into a wide basin. Continue to follow the old road east. The road will turn more northeast; take the most worn trail. A couple of switchbacks will occur as you climb steeply up the trail. You will pass the last trees as you enter the tundra area above the timberline. The trail continues a few hundred more yards before it fades into the tundra. Climb the lush tundra slope above the trail and angle slightly south to reach a saddle at the top of the slope. At this point Pikes Peak will come into view, you can see the Pikes Peak Highway and the upper part of the trail. From the saddle hike northeast, then east on another old road for .75 mile until you exit to the Pikes Peak Highway through a saddle called the “Devil's Playground”. Cross to the east side of the Pikes Peak Highway and walk south above the road. Stay near the road on the west side and then skirt past point 13363' on the east side. In a short distance leave the roadside and cross the rock debris (talus) on the mountain’s northwest slope up to Pikes Peak summit. Notes: Walking along the side of the Pikes Peak Highway is discouraged for safety reasons by the frequent road patrols. Stay some distance from the highway. This trail is only illustrated on the “Pikes Peak Atlas” 7th edition, by Robert Ormes and Robert Houdek (available as of 11/94 from the Maps Unlimited Store). The Crags Trail: It should be mentioned that The Crags Trail leads to an area called “The Crags”, an interesting rock area with boulders, rock pinnacles, and great views. Both inexperienced and expert climbers come here to try the cracks and fissures. It is a 3.4-mile round trip up the northern drainage; there are a number of spur trails through and around these rock formations. Take the same trail east as the Pikes Peak trek using the same trailhead, but stay on the main trail to the left all the way up the northern drainage
Created on: 2024-09-08 10:52:58