Legs & Lungs - Big Hikes and Backpacking

Grand Junction! Not as good as Utah. Not as far as Utah. There are desert canyons, ledgy overlooks, and trails that meander along the Colorado River. What could be a better choice for April if you're kinda sorta done with snow? Join us for a 3 day 2 night BLM camping and hiking experience.

RMNP's Deer Mountain and the surrounding trails are perfect for a late May hike with some great views of the snowy divide as we make our way through green meadows and sparse pine forest. We can do a perfect loop up and over the summit with some additional mileage tacked on at the end. This will be a respectable 14 miles with 3,000 ft of gain. Join us for a walk, talk, and chance to meet new people, and let's enjoy the beautiful Springtime in our national park!

We'll meet at Boulder's Justice Center and carpool up to the roadside parking on 36 just past the turnoff for Bear Lake Road. Our counterclockwise loop starts out on the Buck Creek trail heading along the southeast base of Deer Mountain for a mile and a half. Then the Deer Mountain trail climbs a steep 2,000 feet to the summit. We'll continue along the trail back down the west side to the main trailhead at the 36/34 junction. Cross the road and take the Upper Beaver Meadows / Mountain trails for about 4 miles where they meet the Ute trail (that comes down from Trail Ridge road). From here, we'll loop back to the east for the final 2.5 miles back to the cars. Should be a nice little tour of some trails I've never been on. If you've never done a hike with Legs & Lungs before, this might be the perfect introduction.