FAQ and threads for those just starting to hike the Colorado 14ers.
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Cruiser wrote:When my son and I climbed Bierstadt earlier this summer on a Sunday there had to be close to 75 people on the summit. During our descent we probably passed 200 or 300 more. I'm not real bothered by the crowds though but if you are then you may want to consider a 14er a little farther from Denver. San Luis comes to mind as a good one that isn't crowded.
Did you summit on a weekday or weekend?
....
Maybe I should use my lunch break to get a beer... or maybe that would be a terrible idea.
Jeff Valliere wrote:Or, if looking for more solitude, there are many fine overlooked non standard routes where, aside from the summit, you may encounter zero to very few people.
This. I was just going to suggest looking into the Kelso Ridge route. Far less crowded until you reach the summit. More technical and exposed, though; so you'll need to weigh that against your ability level.
As a recent comparable, Kite Lake trailhead had over 130 vehicles parked there two weeks ago to do that route, implying 150+ people climbing... and Grays/Torreys are probably more popular - I posted a pic from there the other day.
lbethel wrote:Hello all, this may be impossible to answer but I'm attempting to determine if Grays and Torreys, or Bierstadt will be too crowded on Sunday the 23rd. Can anyone describe how crowded these hikes tend to be on the weekends? Are there many hundreds of people on the trail? Are there people every few feet?
Based on CFI and USFS trail counting data from 2017, at about that time of year you'll still expect to see 200+ on Grays/Torreys and 500+ on Bierstadt assuming you have a good weather day. Fewer people on a Sunday than a Saturday, but still pretty high. If weather moves in the numbers drop off significantly.
