Crags Campground Trailhead

Location

Range: Front Range
Coordinates: 38.87359, -105.12375
14ers: Pikes Peak
Elevation: 10,000'

Road Difficulty

1 (0=Paved, 6=Very Difficult 4WD)
2WD dirt to the trailhead.

Driving Directions

Take U.S. 24 to Divide. Turn south onto Colorado 67 and drive 4.1 miles. Near a ranch, turn left onto a dirt road and follow it 3.0 miles to the trailhead. As of 2010, this is the new location of the trailhead. The old trailhead (0.3 miles higher) is being phased out and is not recommended unless you are camping at the Crags Campground. If you are, continue 0.1 mile farther up the road, turn left to enter the campground. At the far end of the campground there is access to the trail.

Winter Access

Usually closed about 1.5 miles up but depends on winter conditions.

More Info

Parking: Room for 50 vehicles
Camping: Crags campground is nearby as well as some dispersed camping near the parking area.
Restrooms? Yes
Fees? No

Trailhead added by BillMiddlebrook

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Status Updates
2022-11-23 Posted By: elevatedtv Info: Winter gate and TH parking still open (Crags Campground). Compact snow and ice in places starting about a mile in, AWD vehicles should be fine. This may change soon w upcoming storm cycles.
2022-11-07 Posted By: johngorman31 Info: There are now "No Parking" signs all around the winter closure gate. I spoke with the Forest Service and they confirmed that any parking at the gate is not allowed. The nearby Mennonite camp is also known to tow any unauthorized vehicles that park on their property. The FS person I talked to said that technically any spot not marked "No Parking," not blocking the road or a gate, and not on Mennonite camp land is a legal parking spot. So winter access is still possible if you can find a legal spot and you’re willing to add the miles to your round trip. But for now, the winter gate is still open and there is thin snow cover on the road above the Mennonite camp.
2022-10-29 Posted By: bfaulkne Info: The gate is still open to the summer trailhead, but the road is covered in snow beyond the Mennonite Camp. I imagine 2wd could probably still make it as the snow is not very deep, but chains might be helpful.
2022-09-04 Posted By: Evan_Hikes Info: Clear all the way to the trailhead, a sedan could make this without hesitation. A few handfuls of cars by 5:00, fairly full when returning at 1:30.
2022-08-01 Posted By: ultrarungreg97 Info: Just there on 8/1 - Monday. There was plenty of parking at the trailhead at 6:30 am. Road still smooth getting to the trailhead. Bathrooms were clean!	1
2022-07-08 Posted By: Jim Davies Info: The road was just graded, and is smooth enough for any vehicle (for now).
2022-06-24 Posted By: rower Info: Conditions were good, Campground was clean. Weather was cold.
2022-05-14 Posted By: jmfb3 Info: Open and clear of any snow
2022-05-13 Posted By: solson_ski Info: Gate is open
2022-04-12 Posted By: lacabra Info: Road closed at the winter gate at 38.8872778,-105.1354109: https://goo.gl/maps/WaBZZV1Bhwf31LEy6 right after the Rocky Mountain Mennonite Camp, where there is a small parking for about 10 cars. The remaining road is covered with a couple of inches of hardpacked snow in the morning, which turns slushy in the afternoon (see picture). I was able to ride a small motorcycle to the trailhead possibly also doable with a mountain bike with fat tires to save those 1.1 miles each way to the trailhead.	1
2022-04-02 Posted By: pgres Info: Road closed 1.1 miles from trailhead. Limited parking.
2022-01-02 Posted By: JQDivide Info: Gate is now closed for the winter.
2021-12-25 Posted By: soundchaser2112 Info: The gate is still open and there is about an inch of snow on the road. My Kia Rio made it up alright
2021-11-27 Posted By: mtnmike Info: Crags trailhead still accessible by any vehicle. Little bit of snow on the road but its packed down and wont be an issue.
2021-11-22 Posted By: wolfgangstiller Info: Crags road is still in good shape with no snow or ice causing a problem yet. Even 2wd should have no problems at all.
2021-11-15 Posted By: Eagle Eye Info: I’ll mention that the gate is still open, the road is in great shape and the bathrooms are open at the TH.
2021-06-22 Posted By: E_A_Marcus_949 Info: Easy dirt road to trailhead parking lot - gates are open. Pit toilets are clean (well, as much as possible for TH pit toilets) and have TP.
2021-06-15 Posted By: wolfgangstiller Info: The gate is open and the road is open and dry all the way to the TH and beyond. The road must have been graded recently and is the smoothest that I have seen in 20 years.
2021-05-01 Posted By: globreal Info: The winter gate is still closed which adds a little over one mile each way up to the standard summer TH/parking area. I heard that the Forest Service plans to open the road on May 15, 2021. We took mountain bikes to ride up and down the road which worked out great. Biking back down the road only took 6 minutes! Once the summer TH is open remember, that if the summer parking lot is full, DO NOT park anywhere along the forest service road. Tickets/fines are often issued. You need to drive back about a half mile, to a pull-out area on the east side of the road or back to the pull-out area at the winter gate.		1
2021-03-20 Posted By: d_baker Info: Winter TH access no problem. Saw a 4 door sedan pulling in when we left. Deep snow on Crags route to Devils Playground is a problem.		2
2021-03-18 Posted By: +Gravy Info: Deep snow, snow shoes or skis required. Parking lot where road is closed near Menonite camp was deep snow, not feasible without 4wd.
2020-12-06 Posted By: Jim Davies Info: The gate is now closed past the Mennonite camp.
2020-11-30 Posted By: marksilas Info: Road is still open all the way to the TH. Mostly packed snow, but most vehicles shouldn’t have any problems. Don’t know when the USFS plans to lock the gate that is just above the church camp.
2020-11-23 Posted By: wolfgangstiller Info: Road has packed icy snow in spots above the Mennonite camp (last two miles). I’d recommend AWD/4WD but at least one Honda Accord was parked at the TH.
2020-07-17 Posted By: DixieFlyer Info: The road is currently well graded and even a sedan with half-decent clearance should have no trouble getting to the TH.