Barr Trail: hike all the way up Pikes Peak

Barr Trail is the footpath all the way up Pikes Peak, and reaching the 14,115-foot summit on your own two feet is one of the great hiking achievements on the Front Range. It starts off Ruxton Avenue in Manitou Springs, just above the cog railway depot, and gains more than 7,000 feet, climbing through forest before it opens into the wide-open alpine zone near the top.

That much elevation is worth planning for. The Forest Service advises that hikers not used to these altitudes do best not attempting the round trip in a single day, so many people split the trip and stay overnight at Barr Camp, a welcoming shelter partway up run under a special-use permit, where there is a charge to use the facilities. Up high the air turns cold and windy and weather can change fast, so it is good to start early and watch the sky.

Plenty of hikers do just one direction and let the mountain reward them either way: ride the highway, bus, or cog railway to the summit and stride down, or hike up and ride down. Even a downhill-only walk is a real workout on tired legs, so pace yourself. Parking at the trailhead is limited and charges a fee, so a shuttle is often the easiest way in.

Trail conditions, camp reservations, and parking change, so plan with current information. The Forest Service Barr Trail page is the place to start.