Cliffside Colorado hike "not for those prone to vertigo"

Deep in the Flat Tops Wilderness in northwest Colorado, there's a hike that leads to a terrain feature dubbed 'The Devil's Causeway.' The 'causeway' is a narrow land bridge, no wider than four feet in some areas. Crossing it can be extremely dangerous depending on the weather and the experience level of a hiker, with state tourism board writers warning those adventurous enough to seek it out that it's 'not for those prone to vertigo.'

Flanking each side of the causeway are cliff drops of 60 to 80 feet that lead to steep slopes that drop several hundred more feet. Any fall would most likely be fatal and those traveling this route are advised to proceed with extreme caution with high awareness of weather, including wind speed.

Because of how dangerous this section of the hike is, some hikers will choose to slide or crawl across the more narrow stretches. While on the land bridge, it's also important to be ready to encounter wildlife, as some travelers have bumped into marmots and other creatures. 

While the 'causeway' is the main reason most set out to travel this route, the entire hike is enjoyable. Trails in this area cut through green slopes, sometimes filled with wildflowers and typically passing small ponds. The surrounding views are stunning, as cliffs and plateaus rise into the sky.

The 'causeway' can be reached in multiple ways – one way consisting of a 6-mile out-and-back route and another that's a 10-mile loop.

RELATED: This experience was featured on our '2021 bucket list for adventure in Colorado' list. Find more ideas here.