Bucket list 14er. Take a high clearance jeep or be prepared to pay huge bucks if you get stuck...if they can get to you. Not too crowded. Combine with Torreys and you will have accomplished something. read more

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Friday 8-6-2021 The 3 mile dirt road from the parking lot off i70 up to the trailhead is ROUGH. If you do not have a higher clearance vehicle i would not try this. I have a honda pilot and it did okay but i will definitely not be driving it again. It was really rough on the car. Lots of ruts, wash outs and rocks sticking out. Road is narrow would not be a fan of seeing what happens if vehicles are wanting to go both up and down at same time. There is no parking along the 3 mile road stretch. There are signs along the road on trees. Please obey the signage! At 6 am, we did find parking near the trailhead. There is a bathroom at the trailhead. There is no trash. So please plan on packing out what you take with you. Dogs are allowed but if you are going to bring them please make sure they are on a leash or under GREAT voice command. Was watching some wildlife and somebody and their dog came chased them off. It was really quite sad. The elusive white tailed ptarmigan, they had very little regard for the wildlife. have seen this happen on other trails with the mountain goats as well. so please only bring your dog if you are going to control the dog. The trail is well marked and easy to follow. The wildflowers are absolutely amazing right now! wow a sea of yellows, red, purple, pink. It was so pretty!!! It is also very green right now. You feel like you are surrounded by a sea of giant towering mountains. The incline up to gray was definitely mentally challenging. We got to the top and it was pretty cold and windy. Could not find the geological markers for either of the peaks. Neither could anyone else. Not sure where they disappeared to. Going from Grays to Torreys. The rocks were slick. This was an area i wish i had hiking poles for. From here, the hike up to torreys was shorter but steep. It was quite lovely though. I think i loved the view from Torreys best if i had to pick. Gray clouds were rolling in at 11 am. We were on our way down but lots of people were just on their way up. Be sure you be aware of the weather conditions if you are going to do this peak. Thunderstorms on the peak are definitely not a joke. read more

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Great hike for first 14er! Still a challenging hike and gets crowded. The parking area does get full and the road is pretty bumpy and has a few big potholes. Be prepared to walk up the road some unless you get there crazy early and are able to park in the lot. Incredible views. If you're up for it you can also do Torreys Peak on the same day. We did them on two different days. read more

Gray's Peak - Hiking Near Me - Idaho Springs, Colorado

Activity Type: Hiking Nearby City: Georgetown Length: 9 total miles Elevation Gain: 3,640 feet Trail Type: Out-and-back Skill Level: Generally well marked and easy to follow. Duration: 7 hours Season: Midsummer through mid-fall. The higher parts of the trail are usually covered with snow from November through mid-July Local Contacts:Mount Evans Wilderness Area, Arapaho National Forest Grays and Torreys Peaks are the two highest points on the Continental Divide. Torreys at 14,270 was named after John Torrey, an early nineteenth-century botanist who is best remembered for his work in classifying North American flora. Grays Peak at 14,270 was named in recognition of Asa Gray, also a well known botanist in the mid 1800s, whose research on variations in plant species provided important evidence in support of Charles Darwin's Theory of Evolution. The Grays Peak Trail has recently been designated as a National Recreational Trail, and it is one of the best maintained of any of the fourteener trails. The trail approaches the peak through a gorgeous glacial valley. The valley ends at the foot of the Continental Divide below the saddle connecting Grays Peak with Torreys. We started with Grays which is to the left on your way up. I have seen people with different levels of hiking capability. Most people made it half way. It is a relentless uphill climb. In hindsight I would've done Torreys first although I was advised otherwise. Just because Torreys to me is definitely a bit more than its neighbor Grays. To be recognized as having submitted a peak you must do a 3000 climb or ascend. This climb puts you at 3,640 total ascend. A well maintained trail doesn't mean a walk in the park. It is rocky. Steep and rocky is equals to a problem downhill. Not sure footed? Your friendly hiking pole should come with you. A few areas to stop and take pictures of these two is definitely a must. On the day we came we took our time. Check NOAA before you leave home. Its the best source for weather prediction. I knew a storm wouldn't be coming in at all. The top is a different story. Howling wind and not much of a space when crowded with people pushed us to stay a few minutes only. Enough to get over to Torreys and down. At the bottom where the trail starts you will see a bathroom. Unfortunately I can say this is the worst bathroom I've seen. AND I have seen a lot in the wilderness. Parking. Early bird gets the worms. Figure it out. Happy trails and on to more 14ers for me! read more

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This review is for both Grays and Torreys Peaks. I heard so many people talking about these 14ers and if it weren't for the floods last fall then I would have already done these. Alas, I finally had the chance to try to conquer these. Last week, a park ranger told us there is no such thing as an easy 14er. It's an accomplishment to ascend one in a day but two is really amazing to do! Unlike other reviews, I absolutely wouldn't recommend this one for a first 14er. Go to Bierstadt for that. Several people were on their first ascent and getting their butt kicked. We were there on our way to the trail head at 6:30AM and it still took us nearly 45 minutes to get there because parking was taken and/or the road was only accessible by 4x4 beyond a certain point. We opted to hit Grays Peak first. The ascent was not too bad and the views were absolutely spectacular. I could see why some first timers would attempt this peak. The challenge came with Torreys Peak. It isn't that is was super hard but I think that just getting to Grays Peak takes a lot of out you that you really start feeling it at some point. Again, the views were great but Grays takes the prize out of these two. This hike is 8.35 miles for both peaks and ascends 3,366 feet. It took us exactly 7 hours to the minute trailhead to trailhead. From our car, it was 8 hours 24 minutes. In my opinion, for a first timer, I would definitely do Bierstadt first. That is amazing hike with great views and I think it's a bit easier than either of these and definitely easier than trying to do both of these in a single day. read more

Gray's Peak - View of Grays Peak from Torreys Peak - Hiking Near Me - Idaho Springs, Colorado

Amazing. Stunning. The hike up the valley was as pleasant as I've ever had. Just wild flowers and towering peaks. The climb was great. Just hard enough to make you pace with the altitude. The summit itself let's you see for 50 miles in all directions. Gray's peak! read more

The trail was nice, well kept, clean, and it was nice. There was snow and beautiful wild flower and a few animals. This was my first 14er but we hike and are in good shape and my group has been on a few. The trail to Grays Peak took us 2-1/2 hours and we took our time. This trail has an option to do two peaks (for new people means you hike up 1/2 then you see two paths one to Grays and one to Torreys Peak and it makes sense to do both you can make it a loop). We would not bring kids this was a challenge. Took an 1-1/2 hours to get down. One thing to know is you need an experienced driver to get to the base in the summer. You will not make it up if you do not have an all wheeled but should have a jeep, 4wd truck or atv. The drive is hard and scary!! Parking is limited we got there on a Friday morning during the summer at 5:30 and the parking was 75% full. We did it in middle of July and it was 50 degrees when we started 6am it was cool, we wore yoga pants, hiking boots with two pairs of sock (my sister wore her military boots and was great). We had on a tank top, long sleeve shirt, wind breaker, cotton gloves, ear warmer and we were a little cold and we wore the long sleeved shirt the whole trip. It got cold at the top and whenever the wind was up it got chilly (it was a high of 92 in Denver). Worth the hike the view was pretty. read more

Gray's Peak - At the top of Grays Peak! - Hiking Near Me - Idaho Springs, Colorado

Ok, so I'm being a little bit of a copy-cat here (gasp...I know!) and copying Dan W. in reviewing a 14er. But I had to. I just had to. Gray's was my first fourteener of the summer and a fabulous way to start. I would recommend this mountain to anyone who is a 14er "virgin" and looking for their first mountain to climb. It has a wide and very well-worn trail much of the way to the top, so much so that E refers to it as the "I-70 of 14er trails." It gains about 3000 feet of elevation in 3 and 1/2 miles, pretty standard for a 14er trail, and very doable even if you aren't even remotely in shape (like I was) and do okay with the elevation. It was the second 14er out of three total that I've summitted - it was by far my favorite hike, although I have to say that the view from Yale has yet to be surpassed, even by Gray's. Still, the view from the top is beyond words. It made me cry...no seriously, it made me cry. After hours of hiking (being out-of-shape, it took me longer than I would have liked) in bad weather, the rewarding view was enough to stir up my volatile woman hormones and open the flood gates. It made E a little uncomfortable... This is an awesome trail for doggies who are up to the task...both Champ and Aspen took part in this summit, and there were MANY other dogs on the trail, kind of like a nomadic dog park. Aspen delighted in sniffing and stalking pikas (little rodents that sound like squeaky toys so OBVIOUSLY he's interested) and rolling in the snow fields that were hanging on even in August. He got lots of compliments on his dog booties too, which prevent him from rubbing his feet raw. A great hike. A beautiful view. And another 14er you can cross off your list. Isn't life in Colorado grand? read more

Gray's Peak - From the summit - Hiking Near Me - Idaho Springs, Colorado

Gray's Peak has been one of my favorite hikes since moving to Colorado. Accessibility wise, this is one of the more tough 14ers to get to simply because of the road condition and lack of parking up top. I highly recommend a vehicle with a decent amount of clearance, think SUV/pick-up/Jeep. I did see a few sedans make it up but it was definitely tricky and nerve wracking to watch. We camped out on a Friday night, plenty of free spots available, and woke up at 1:30am so that we could begin the hike and get to the peak in time for sunrise. The views were stunning! I didn't have it in me to continue to Torrey's Peak, so I'll have to return some day to complete that one as well. If you ever get the chance, definitely do this 14er at sunrise! You will not regret it! read more

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A great hike - especially for your first 14er. I would go and park at the trailhead the night before because it gets so crowded starting at 5 am. The hike took us 5 hours is around 9 miles with 3,500 feet of elevation gain. read more

Absolutely stunning. On a visit from Florida I thought it'd be a great idea to tag along with some friends who live in Colorado to hike a 14er. HAH! It was a long bumpy small road to get to the parking area, which was quaint with restrooms. We started the hike up to the top and got to about 11,000 feet before we had to turn back because of the snow and ice. Would love to come back during season because the views from even 11k feet were just beautiful. read more

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As plain vanilla 14er that is close to Denver, this gets A LOT of traffic. I'm going to try and not get on my soapbox too much here, but on some of these 'easy' 14ers, I've seen more than my share of people putting themselves in potentially dangerous situations. There are basically 2 main trail heads, a winter one that is right next to I-70, and then a summer one that is 3 miles up a dirt road. The summer trail head can get VERY crowded on the weekends, so my suggestion is to get there early. 6:30AM is good. 6 is even better. If you are getting there later than 7 or 8, well, have fun with parking. The trail is easy to spot and starts out as a fairly easy climb. As you go up, it gets steeper and rockier, but still manageable. Once you summit Grays, you can easily head down to a saddle and then climb towards Torreys Peak. Peak to peak your time should be under an hour, probably closer to 40 minutes. On my trek, weather was supposed to turn ugly in the mid afternoon. I was watching the sky the whole time, and by the time I got to Grays (I did Torreys first), some of the surrounding peaks were cloaked in storm clouds. Time to hustle down. By the time I was more than halfway down, both Grays and Torreys were completely obscured in dark storm clouds. Despite this, there were still TONS of people headed up. Interesting choice there. As you know, Gray's is a relatively 'easy' 14er that is close to Denver. You get a lot of rookies on a trail like this, and there's nothing wrong with that, but on the flip side, this isn't just a regular hike in a regional park either. Leaving early in the morning gives you the best chance to avoid weather near the summit and the most daylight. Having the proper gear and being prepared for weather changes is something that everyone should have. But both of these seem to be the exception rather than the rule on this trail. Lots of jeans, no jackets, and no equipment. I've seen people carrying 12 month old babies on their backs, fully intending to make the summit. I saw more than one person in jeans, a t-shirt, and carrying a gallon jug of water. W. T. F? I don't know how those people did coming down in the rain and the hail, but, by that time, I was down at the base loading my stuff back in my car. Common sense in society is amazingly uncommon. The same applies to some of these hikers. In the end, this is a nice 14er to cut your teeth on. Go early, take the proper gear, watch the weather, and enjoy! read more