Family Recommendation

[vucatsengr]

Hello,

My family is embarking on what looks to be a pretty epic road trip this June. We look to be in Colorado around June 24. We've never been to Colorado (other than DEN on a layover) and I thought it may be fun to climb an "easy" mountain. Doesn't have to be a 14er, just some sort of good views. We have a 5yo girl and an 8yo boy.

Mount Democrat looked "easy" and a good place to camp as well, but I worry about the road with a minivan.

Like I said, first time out in Colorado. I'm open for any suggestions you may have. Bonus points if we can camp at the trailhead. We'll be headed up to Grand Teton after we've spent a few days in Colorado.

[Wish I lived in CO]

For the criteria I'm hearing of: Easy TH access, camping near TH, easier 14er, and something near the front range / Denver:

Mt. Bierdstadt is probably your best choice. It is class 2, which means some small obstacles to walk over (but no technical climbing), about a mile below the pass on the south side there are some pretty good spots to camp at (no permit or reservations needed / taken - first come first served), and the road is not bad. For a 5 year old, the class 2 could be too much, or a real blast depending on their attitude. I've heard that telling them there is a McDonald's on top provides motivation. Or at least lots of snacks and breaks as needed.

Quandry is good also. It is class 1, so very easy hiking as mountains go. Space for camping, although not as nice, is a mile or so past the TH on a dirt road.

The road to grays and torreys is not so great, but I haven't been there in a long time.

[Jim Davies]

Sherman from the east side is probably one of the easiest ones, and has interesting mine ruins along the way. There are Forest Service campgrounds along the road a few miles before the trailhead. https://www.14ers.com/route.php?route=s ... t.+Sherman

Also see the FAQ: https://www.14ers.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=15348

[Phill the Thrill]

One of my favorite 14ers for first timers is Huron Peak. The views from the summit are incredible, and the views of the Three Apostles on the climb are amazing as well. There are many nice places to camp near the trailhead and along the Chaffee County Road 390 approach. Keep in mind that there could still be some snow present in late June, but it shouldn't be a problem on this peak.

[vucatsengr]

Sherman from the east side is probably one of the easiest ones, and has interesting mine ruins along the way. There are Forest Service campgrounds along the road a few miles before the trailhead. https://www.14ers.com/route.php?route=s ... t.+Sherman

Also see the FAQ: https://www.14ers.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=15348

The mine ruins at Sherman would probably delight my kids. I saw a couple of campgrounds along the way on Google Maps. Do you have a recommendation for one?

For the criteria I'm hearing of: Easy TH access, camping near TH, easier 14er, and something near the front range / Denver:

Mt. Bierdstadt is probably your best choice. It is class 2, which means some small obstacles to walk over (but no technical climbing), about a mile below the pass on the south side there are some pretty good spots to camp at (no permit or reservations needed / taken - first come first served), and the road is not bad. For a 5 year old, the class 2 could be too much, or a real blast depending on their attitude. I've heard that telling them there is a McDonald's on top provides motivation. Or at least lots of snacks and breaks as needed.

Quandry is good also. It is class 1, so very easy hiking as mountains go. Space for camping, although not as nice, is a mile or so past the TH on a dirt road.

The road to grays and torreys is not so great, but I haven't been there in a long time.

Quandary was on my list already, but I added Bierstadt. My kids are climbers, so they'd love climbing over things.

One of my favorite 14ers for first timers is Huron Peak. The views from the summit are incredible, and the views of the Three Apostles on the climb are amazing as well. There are many nice places to camp near the trailhead and along the Chaffee County Road 390 approach. Keep in mind that there could still be some snow present in late June, but it shouldn't be a problem on this peak.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but a van wouldn't be able to get down the road and we'd be facing an ~11 mile hike, right? Probably a bit too long for my kids.

[rdp32]

If you are not set on doing a 14er, I would recommend looking into some other options. Most 5-year-olds will probably not enjoy most of the 14ers---I know mine wouldn't. Rocky Mountain National Park has some spectacular easier hiking options (Deer Mountain, Emerald Lake, Mills Lake/The Loch, ...), although most of these are quite crowded (no worse than the easy close 14ers though). Or if you want to do a higher peak, something like Mt Sniktau (a 13er) off Loveland Pass may be fun. It is only an hour from Denver and has great views the whole way, and even if you don't make it to the peak you can get up on the Continental Divide, which the kids might think is fun.

[spiderman]

My views are just a bit biased from my peakbagging list-focused mentality, but consider Elbert. There is plenty of dispersed (along with pay) camping along the road, the trailhead is easy to get to in a minivan, and perhaps getting to the tallest peak in all of Colorado would add sufficient motivation to get one or both of your kids to the peak. My son loved it at age 8 when we did a big road trip of western state highpoints. You still will have gorgeous views even if you decide to turn around after a few miles, but my hunch is that your kids will get summit fever and a steady supply of snacks/candy/stories will give them a legit bid for the top. If they do love the thrill of state highpointing, it will open up so many other future trips to amazing, and some not-so-amazing places in this beautiful country!

If you want something a bit easier, consider Bison Peak. There is camping near the TH and it has an amazing summit plateau:
http://www.summitpost.org/bison-peak/151572

[Jessiahbram]

First and foremost, it's important that in addition to diligently researching the peaks that you're considering you also get yourself up to speed on what you need/can expect during a hike above timberline. As almost all 14er guidebooks will declare, rating any 14er as "easy" can be deceptive (though I'm sure there are others on here who would adamantly - and perhaps arrogantly - disagree with this). Even the shorter, "walk-up" routes, such as Bierstadt, Sherman, and Grays and Torreys, can become big problems if you are caught in a storm or are experiencing altitude sickness. If you're coming from out-of-state with kids, be sure that you are prepared for the effects of altitude, which may affect their smaller bodies more noticeably.

Climbing 14ers would be one of my top activities to do coming from out-of-state in the summer, but please be sure that you are adequately prepared and have done your due diligence. The weather, temperature, and landscape will all be different than what you are used to (duh, I'm sure you are saying) but knowing what those differences are and how to prepare for them can be the difference between a vacation that consists of joyful summits and laughs (or at least an attempt) and a hike that turns into a rescue operation costing thousands of dollars. Many on this site, myself included, would love to give you further assistance and advice when it comes to gear requirements, hints, and things to avoid.

Having said all that I think that Bierstadt is a suitable candidate for the summer. It's proximity to Denver will mean that you can ensure an early start; the route is clear and quite direct; and the view from the summit gives you a good taste of the variety of Colorado. With any of the summits that are along the Front Range (the closest mountain range to Denver which holds 14ers) you can expect heavy traffic on the weekends. Some mountain routes turn into something not too unlike long, continuous bathroom lines.

Also, June is an interesting month when it comes to high-country weather. It's not uncommon for snow to fall throughout the month in the mountains, even in the lower elevations. I hope that this response is helpful and stay in touch if you have any further questions. If you're gonna go through with it and get up there I want to be sure that I can do my part in ensuring that it is safe and enjoyable!

Cheers!

[CO Native]

Out of the already recommended mountains I would say you'd be most happy with Bierstadt. Not to say the others are bad.

Kind of ironically it might be easier to stick to the 14,000 foot plus peaks since they have great trails and are well traveled, shorter peaks while easier in the sense that you don't climb as high are often more difficult for route finding and trail condition.

[peter303]

If you could shift your camping to a Sun thru Thur you would have better luck finding a camping area.

The last week of June could still,have patchy snow, some mud and lively streams. Check here a week before for conditions.

Another idea is Mt Democrat camping from Kite Lake. Some years you need a high clearance vehicle make it all the way to the Kite Lake campground. Depends on the spring runoff gullies in the forest road.

[Jim Davies]

The mine ruins at Sherman would probably delight my kids. I saw a couple of campgrounds along the way on Google Maps. Do you have a recommendation for one?

The Fourmile Campground is a little further up the road, but is first-come-first-served. Horseshoe Campground is closer to the creek, and takes reservations (recommended). https://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/psicc/r ... ecid=12836

[SensoZakku]

Another idea is Mt Democrat camping from Kite Lake. Some years you need a high clearance vehicle make it all the way to the Kite Lake campground. Depends on the spring runoff gullies in the forest road.

A couple of years ago I put some dings in the underside of my Toyota Matrix before the road got worse and I had to turn around, so as stated I wouldn't count on being able to make it up easily in a typical van.