Things To Do

The Gore Range rises dramatically above the ski town of Vail, a rugged wilderness with so many 13,000-foot peaks that most don’t have proper names, just letters. This trail is shorter than some of the others that penetrate the range from the east side of Vail, but it’s no less steep. Hikers gain 2,180 feet of elevation in 3.2 miles. From the trailhead on Columbine Drive, the trail climbs steeply out of the Vail Valley, passing beaver ponds, remains of old mining structures and a waterfall, Bighorn Falls. The trail levels out as it enters a broad meadow with great views of the jagged, intimidating peaks of the Gores. It ends at an old cabin. Catch your breath, enjoy the scenery and return the way you came.

Pro Tips

  • The cabin at the end of the trail is usually unlocked for hikers in need of shelter from bad weather. Just be sure to leave it the way it was when you came.
  • Look for a short, side trail past a fern grove two miles up the trail. It leads to an overlook that makes a great ending point for hikers looking for a shorter day on the trail.
  • The trail is in the Eagles Nest Wilderness, so only foot and horse traffic are permitted and dogs must be leashed.
  • Recommended season(s): Mid-summer – late fall.

    –R. Scott Rappold

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