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This pass in the Gore Range of Summit County provides reaches high above timberline and offers great views on a day hike, or it can be incorporated into a multi-day adventure through these splendid mountains. Most day hikers begin on the east side near Frisco on the Meadow Creek Trail. Pass the turnoff to Lily Pad Lake (a much shorter hike) and wind upward into the basin above the creek. Trees give way to tundra as you connect with the Gore Range Trail. Follow this north for a half-mile to reach the pass, for a total hike of just over five miles and 2,900 feet of elevation gain. The views from the pass are worth the climb. With a shuttle car or a pickup several other trail options are possible, including staying on the Gore Range Trail and following it along South WIllow Creek, which will spill you out in Silverthorne. Another option for returning to Frisco is to head south to the North Tenmile Trail.

Pro Tips

  • The trail is entirely within the Eagles Nest Wilderness, so no bikes or vehicles are allowed and dogs must be leashed.
  • Backpackers with the ability to leave a shuttle car have numerous options for longer trips. Leave a car in east Vail and one at Copper Mountain for an amazing two-nighter up Gore Creek from the east, over Red Buffalo Pass to Eccles Pass, then down to Tenmile Creek for night two before climbing Uneva Pass to reach Copper Mountain. For a one-nighter, leave a car in Frisco and hike out on the Meadow Creek Trail.
  • Don’t forget the mosquito repellent. This mountains get a ton of snow and can be extremely buggy well into August.

    • Recommended season(s): Mid-summer – mid-fall.

    –R. Scott Rappold

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