Torreys Peak South Slopes

Difficulty

Class 1

Intermediate, D4 / R2 / II

Risk Factors

ExposureLow
RockfallLow
Route-FindingLow
CommitmentLow

TrailheadGrays Peak 11,280 feet

Summit14,272 feet

Elevation Gain3,000 ft

Length Round-TripRT7.75 mi

Peak Conditions665 reports

Downloads

GPX

KML

Route Last Updated: Jul 2026

Parking Issue

The Clear Creek County Sheriff no longer allows parking along the road to the trailhead. They say they will ticket those who do so and you'll see "No Parking" signs along the road. So, get up there very early and if the trailhead parking is full, you'll have to drive back down to the bottom of the road and walk up.

Trailhead

Take I-70 to the Bakerville exit (#221). Leave the highway and drive south over to the dirt parking area near the start of Forest Road 189. This is the winter trailhead and even if the upper road is open, low-clearance passenger cars should park here. It's almost 3 miles to the summer trailhead. Continue up the Grays Peak (189) road. After 1 mile, stay straight at a junction. Continue another 2 miles to the trailhead, at 11,280'. There are restrooms and a few dispersed camping spots near the parking area.

Route Description

From the trailhead, cross the large bridge spanning the stream in Stevens Gulch 1. Continue into the basin for approximately 1.5 miles to reach an information sign , about halfway into the hike 2. From there, hike up to and across a rocky area near 12,300' 3. Follow the trail as it winds around a small ridge that runs south toward the east side of Grays 4. Above 12,600', the trail swings left, traversing along the west side of the rocky ridge 5. Continue upward to reach the Grays-Torreys trail junction at 13,300' 6 7.

Depart from the Grays trail and traverse southwest 8 9 to reach the Grays-Torreys saddle , above 13,700' 10. Please remain on the trail for the entirety of this section to minimize environmental impact. From the saddle, turn right 11 and follow the Torreys trail for the final 1/2 mile ascent to the summit 12 13 14.

In Winter

In winter months, the southeast side of Kelso Mountain is prone to avalanche activity which may run over the summer Grays Peak trail. Unless you're confident the snow in this area is stable, it's best to leave the trail near 11,600' and take a more direct line up through Stevens Gulch before re-joining the Grays Peak trail near 12,100'.

Skiing?

Heading down the ridge: 15
Below the saddle: 16
Looking back toward the saddle: 17

Notes

The road to the trailhead is somewhat rough, so a good clearance vehicle is recommended.

Maps

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Interactive Map & 3D Flythrough

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Weather

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Torreys Peak South Slopes

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