more stats
1.4 miles
Distance
965 ft
Climb
02:24:48
Avg time
965 ft
Altitude change
10,747 ft
Altitude min
11,712 ft
Altitude max
10,747 ft
Altitude start
11,713 ft
Altitude end
12.8%
Grade
-0.8%
Grade max
70.3%
Grade min
1 mile
Distance climb
171 ft
Distance down
95 ft
Distance flat
02:24:48
Avg time

Chief Mountain Details

  • Activities
    • Hike
    • Trail Running
    • Snowshoe
  • Riding Area
    Idaho Springs
    , Colorado
  • Ref Number
    #58
  • Difficulty Rating
    Blue Rate
  • Local Popularity
    100 in Hiking [+]
    • 95 in Trail Running
    • 100 in Snowshoeing
  • Global Ranking
    #10273 in Hiking [+]
    • #45473 in Trail Running
    • #598 in Snowshoeing
  • Hiking SAC Scale
    T2 Mountain Hiking
  • Trail Type
    Singletrack
  • Physical Rating
    Moderate
  • Dogs Allowed
    Yes

Passing through a spruce and fir forest, you soon reach treeline in just a short distance. Here, the alpine tundra begins. The last stretch of the trail offers an overlook of the Bear Creek Basin, including Mount Evans, Mount Goliath, Rogers Peak and Roslin Peak.

source: https://www.fs.usda.gov
Traditionally Indigenous Territory

Recent Activity on Trail

Past Week
  • 1 rides
  • 3 miles average
6 Months
  • 13 rides
  • 4 miles avg distance
All
  • 49 rides
  •  
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Chief Mountain Trail Reports

statusdatedescription
Jun 6, 2021 @ 6:23am
Jun 6, 2021
 Wet with occasional snow coverage.
Feb 17, 2020 @ 2:42pm
Feb 17, 2020
 Great trail, snowpacked to treeline then a little windblown/rocky. No trail issues at all today!
more »
Status:
on Jun 6, 2021
Wet
Avg: 5 (1 votes)
Your vote: 0

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Trail Conditions
  • Unknown
  • Snow Groomed
  • Snow Packed
  • Snow Covered
  • Snow Cover Partial
  • Freeze/thaw Cycle
  • Icy
  • Prevalent Mud
  • Wet
  • Variable
  • Ideal
  • Dry
  • Very Dry
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Direction the slope faces
Flat N NE E SE S SW W NW
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        Directions to chief-mountain trailhead (39.682380, -105.521020)
        View on Discover Map

        Photos

        2 more »
        hike
        41 |
        Oct 15, 2025 @ 10:35am
        Oct 15, 2025
        report
        hike
        79 |
        Feb 17, 2020 @ 2:42pm
        Feb 17, 2020

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        Technical Trail Features (TTF)

        Routes with this trail

        2
        Chief Mountain
        ★ 4.0 • 3 miles • 965 ft • 2 •
        5.0 ★★★★★
        1 Ratings
        5 ★ 100%
        4 ★
        3 ★
        2 ★
        1 ★

        1 Review & Comments


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        Frequently Asked Questions About Chief Mountain

        ▼ Where is Chief Mountain located?
        Chief Mountain is located in Idaho Springs, Colorado, United States. It is part of the Idaho Springs trail network. The trailhead is located at coordinates 39.68238, -105.52102.
        ▼ How hard is Chief Mountain?
        Chief Mountain is rated as Blue difficulty. The physical rating is Moderate. The average grade is 12.8%.
        ▼ What is the elevation gain for Chief Mountain?
        Chief Mountain has 965 ft of elevation gain. The elevation ranges from 10,747 ft to 11,712 ft.
        ▼ How long is Chief Mountain?
        Chief Mountain is 1.4 miles long. The trail type is singletrack.
        ▼ Are dogs allowed on Chief Mountain?
        Yes, dogs are allowed on Chief Mountain. Please keep dogs on a leash where required and clean up after them.
        ▼ When is the best time of year to hike Chief Mountain?
        Based on activity log data, the most popular months to hike Chief Mountain are:
        • June (2 activities)
        • October (1 activities)
        Check the reports page for current trail conditions.
        ▼ How do I access Chief Mountain? Where is the closest parking trailhead?
        The closest parking and trailhead locations to Chief Mountain are: View all parking locations in the area.
        ▼ How long does it take to hike Chief Mountain?
        Based on recorded activities, it takes an average of 1 hour 1 minute to hike Chief Mountain. The trail is 1.4 miles long. Actual times will vary based on fitness level, conditions, and pace. View recent activity logs for more details.
        ▼ How busy is Chief Mountain?
        Chief Mountain is a very popular trail. There have been 309 recorded activities on this trail. The trail has received 528 check-ins. View recent activity on this trail.

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