Kite Lake Trailhead

Posted On: 9/22/2026 By: pmetz
Info: After reading that the new lot was filling up by 4:30 a.m. on some days, I left home about 4 a.m. last Tuesday Sept. 15) to get there about 6:30 a.m. praying that there might be a space left. When I arrived the lot was only about 20% full. When I returned to the lot at about 10:30 it was maybe half full, so I think that it's safe to say that it was never CLOSE to full all day. Lesson: climb the Decalibron peaks on weekdays, and after Labor Day. (There WAS some new snow in the summit windbreak, but that was about it!)

Posted On: 9/7/2026 By: Cbbush
Info: Left Denver at 4:15AM, arrived at the permit gate area around 6. There were no more permits/envelopes available, causing some confusion and traffic around the permitting area. Elected to continue up to the TH, and left $8 on the windshield as a gesture of good faith.

Road is in good condition, albeit covered in washboards, indicative of a season of heavy use. 2WD vehicles aplenty at the trailhead but would probably be a bumpy ride.

Posted On: 9/7/2026 By: rvdolson
Info: Road up is a washboard but definitely doable in 2WD, and a normal car should have enough clearance as long as you watch where you're going. Both bathrooms are open and are pretty clean, but recommend bringing your own TP.

I car camped the evening of 9/5/26 and was glad I did as the lot was full by 4:30am. Lots of people parking along the road.

Posted On: 9/7/2026 By: knova
Info: Lovely drive up to the trailhead (past the gate). Ranger showed up around 1PM so take the time to stop and fill out the permit. Permits are not available at the trailhead from what I can tell, unless I missed them in the dark - you will need to stop at the "FEE AREA" station half a mile down the road.

Parking on 9/6 (labor day weekend Sunday) was full by 5:45am, I was the first car parked on the side of the road.

Posted On: 8/22/2026 By: Buckie06
Info: Do able in a 2wd car. The lot was nearly full by 4:30am today (saturday). New parking lot is great and fits around 100 cars. Stocked bathrooms.

Posted On: 8/7/2026 By: bigfoot1
Info: Road open all the way to campground trailhead! Not many parking spots today at 1100 but a few empty ones around 1400. The new road is quite nice!

Posted On: 8/3/2026 By: jmkk
Info: The road is open, but not all the way to the trailhead, short about 0.2miles. Overflow parking at that spot fills up early but there’s plenty of parking on the road. Vault toilets are operational.

Posted On: 8/2/2026 By: BillMiddlebrook
Info: Open!

Posted On: 7/20/2026 By: jeromeaigner
Info: I talked to the forest service and they said it's fine to park up near the construction gate about a mile from Kite Lake. She said it's fine to walk the road if there are no construction activities. Hikers assume all risk of course.

Posted On: 7/10/2026 By: theolubke
Info: The road to Kite Lake remains closed for the last 1.4 miles as of July 10. The regrading is going to be a tremendous improvement. Will make Kite Lake accessible for low clearance 2WD vehicles. Here are photos of the improvements.

Posted On: 6/6/2026 By: swilson753
Info: There are cones and signs about 1.4 mi below Kite Lake stating no access beyond them on CR-8. Plenty of parking at the closure spot, but even at 5:30 am people were parking a quarter mile down the road. The winter gate at 1 mk below Kite Lake is closed with the Forest Service closure notice posted on it. Lots of people out hiking the Decalibron today. Had Buckskin to myself.

Posted On: 6/14/2026 By: BillMiddlebrook
Info: Kite Lake road is CLOSED until 7/31! Apparently the USFS didn't finish their road construction last fall and now have implemented an immediate road closure without warning. But maybe we'll have a beautiful campground, parking lot, and visitor's center up there after all this work. Let's hope so.
https://www.14ers.com/images/USFSPike20260603.pdf

Feel free to call the USFS South Park Ranger District at (719)836-2031 with questions, concerns, or comments.

Oh, and to make things more confusing, there's a kiosk on the right after you leave Alma, where people could normally 1) pay the fee to park at Kite Lake and 2) scan a QR code to sign the liability waiver BUT the kiosk has been turn off without any posting next to it as to why or what to do. And if you scan the QR code sign, the internet waiver is broken and not viewable. Lot's of things have broken down here-hopefully they get it all straightened out after they complete work on the road.

Posted On: 5/30/2026 By: daway8
Info: Road is closed about 1.5mi from the trailhead due to major construction going on (but road is still open to foot traffic, or at least it was today - not sure what the situation is when the construction is actively going on). There were signs just a little before the road closure saying the area is private property and threatening to tow people parking there but nobody seemed to pay attention to those. There was some limited parking at a pulloff just prior to the private property signs. I parked in the pulloff just before Paris Mill (typical winter parking) to because I wanted the extra milage for conditioning (came out to be 13mi RT from there). It was only 1.5mi from the pulloff just before Paris Mill to the point where the road was closed.
There is still a sign at the very start of the road with a QR code instructing people to go to that site to fill out a waiver for hiking on private property but when I tried to go to the site I got an error saying "We can't find the smart waiver you've requested" so I'm guessing they gave up on the waiver idea??

Posted On: 5/14/2026 By: Ronsammons
Info: I hiked Decalibron yesterday, in reverse order. The road to the trailhead is closed about 1.5 miles from the Kite Lake trailhead so it added 3 miles to the hike.

Posted On: 4/12/2026 By: AndYouSeeMe
Info: Brought bikes for the road past the gate but it was OPEN today at least. No snow to summer TH.