Hermit Pass

2 Reviews

Location Westcliff, CO

Rating Easy,

Length 9mi

Time 2hrs

Guide Trail # 98

Vehicle Types

Vehicle Types Defined

Overview

Bumpy road climbs to mountaintop.

Long climb with many switchbacks to extremely high pass. Lower portion is mainly in the trees, but once above timberline views are outstanding. Great hiking trails and high fishing lakes. Accesses the 100-milelong Rainbow Multi-Use Trail System, which is very popular with ATVs and dirt bikes. Take short hike from Middle Taylor Creek Campground to photogenic waterfall. Visit rustic downtown Westcliffe west of Highway 69.

Rating

Easy

Trail Ratings Defined

Rocky and rough but no major obstacles. Road is wide all the way. Stock SUVs with low-range gearing and moderate ground clearance should have no problem.

Stats

Length

9mi

Time

2hrs

High Point

13,000ft

Best Time To Go

July-Sept

Current Conditions

(719) 269-8500San Isabel N.F., San Carlos R.D.

Check the Weather

No updates yet.

Provide an Update

free GPS downloads

Download tracklog and waypoints for this trail only.

Click here to preview guidebook.

Trail Updates

8/11/2202
Submitted by Andy
I rode from Coaldale to Villa Grove on Hayden Pass. I was in my 2004 Jeep Rubicon. Hayden Pass was fun! It was also hard work. I ran in 4-low range for nearly 10 miles. I did not encounter any obstacles that required a spotter, though there is a lot of loose rock and soil. It was dry and dusty. There are several spots where the view was very scenic. It was an easy but long ride (2.5 hours) for me. I have many years riding on motorcycles and this road would have been much less fun on 2 wheels. It is steep in spots, and again, there are a lot of loose rocks and soil.

7/23/2019
The trail is blocked by snow near the summit of the pass.

Reviews

mike and lisa steeves says

ermit Peak 08.04.2018 Hermit Peak is a 13'er, just to the west of Westcliffe. It's easily accessible via County Road...See More
Brian says

Went in June 2020. This trail is in much worse shape than it used to be, likely torn up by...See More

Leave A Trail Review Recommend a New Trail

Cancel Review

×

mike and lisa steeves says

ermit Peak 08.04.2018 Hermit Peak is a 13'er, just to the west of Westcliffe. It's easily accessible via County Road 160 out of Westcliffe. Googlemaps shows the route very clearly. Once you enter the forest at the base of the mountains (the Sangre de Cristos), the road begins to climb fairly rapidly, and becomes very rocky. It's a rough road, and a high clearance 4WD is necessary. That said, it is not particularly difficult, and any stock high clearance 4WD should be able to navigate the road without problems. Most of the traffic on the road - what there was of traffic; it was not at all heavily traveled - was smaller ATV's. We saw a couple of pickups, a half dozen Wranglers, and one of newer small Cherokees. There are camping spots along the road. We lunched on a rock overlook above Horseshoe Lake, watching a couple of fly fisherpersons working the water below us. We encountered no snow. Some travelers have reported snow as late as July/August, but not this year. There were lots of wildflowers still in bloom, too.

×

Brian says

Went in June 2020. This trail is in much worse shape than it used to be, likely torn up by all the RZR and other such vehicles. We were on the road for 2 hours and didn't even make it to the lake. Miles of bowling ball sized rocks make this a more difficult road these days. It used to be bumpy, now it's just miles of suck. I even scraped once with careful tire placement, something that never happens on an "Easy" route and usually not on a moderate. I suggest this be upgraded to a moderate due to this. This is getting to be more similar to the approach up Lake Como now.

by Webolutions Denver Website Design

Trail Information Prevails.  The information provided by Funtreks is not intended to replace the information provided on any trail or road, such as travel direction, time-based restrictions, animal restrictions, mode of transportation restrictions, trail blocks, trail signs, police or park ranger instructions, etc.
Cautious Riding.  Always travel vigilantly according to trail conditions and in accordance with local laws. 
No Warranty of Accuracy.  The information provided by Funtreks is always fluctuating and may be inaccurate, incomplete or outdated.  Funtreks does not provide any warranties to such information’s timeliness, credibility or reliability.  All information and content provided by the Funtreks service (the “Service”) is made available for informational and planning purposes only, and is not intended to be relied upon in situations where precise location information is needed or where erroneous, inaccurate, time-delayed or incomplete location or trail data may lead to death, personal injury, property or environmental damage.  The results you receive from the Service may vary from actual trail conditions due to factors that can affect the accuracy of the data, such as, without limitation, weather, trail and traffic conditions, and geopolitical events.  For your safety, always pay attention to your surroundings and observe current trail conditions and signage.
Location-Based Service.  Some features of the Service make use of detailed location and trail route information, for example in the form of GPS signals and other information sent by your mobile device.  These features cannot be provided without utilizing this technology. 
Internet Connection.  The connection required to use the Service, and any associated charges (e.g., mobile data charges) incurred by your use of the Service are your exclusive responsibility and made solely at your expense.  Transmitting and receiving real-time updates to and from the Service requires an online (e.g., Wi-Fi, 3G, 4G, 5G) connection between your cellular device and the Internet.  The expenses of such a connection are as prescribed by the agreement between you and your communications service provider (such as your cellular provider), and according to its applicable terms of payment.

Public Data.  The Service utilizes some public data for map displays, updates and trail information.  The Service, its database, Funtreks trademarks, the design of the maps and other things integrated into the Service are owned by Funtreks, and are not public data.
Limitation of Liability.  FUNTREKS PROVIDES THE SERVICE AND THE CONTENT INCLUDED THEREIN FOR USE ON AN “AS IS” AND “AS AVAILABLE” BASIS.  FUNTREKS HEREBY DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES AND REPRESENTATIONS, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, WITH RESPECT TO THE SERVICE, INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION, ANY WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, FEATURES, QUALITY, NON-INFRINGEMENT, TITLE, COMPATIBILITY, PERFORMANCE, SECURITY OR ACCURACY.  Without limiting the above, Funtreks disclaims any warranties relating to the accuracy of the Service, the trail maps, content, trail conditions, directions, or navigation routes presented or displayed in or by the Service.  For instance, existing trails may be missing from the Service and/or trails listed on the Service may be nonexistent.  You acknowledge and agree that you assume full, exclusive and sole responsibility for the use of and reliance on the Service, and that you further acknowledge and agree that your use of or reliance on the Service is made entirely at your own risk.  You further acknowledge that it is your responsibility to comply with all applicable laws and regulations while using the Service.  Funtreks does not warrant that the Service will operate in an uninterrupted or error-free manner, or that it will always be available or free from all harmful components, or that it is safe, secure from unauthorized access, immune from damages, free of malfunctions, bugs or failures, including without limitation, hardware failures, software failures, and software communication failures, originating either in Funtreks or any of its providers.  FUNTREKS, INCLUDING ITS OFFICERS, DIRECTORS, SHAREHOLDERS, EMPLOYEES, SUBCONTRACTORS AND AGENTS WILL NOT BE LIABLE FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGE, OR ANY OTHER DAMAGE OR LOSS (INCLUDING LOSS OF PROFIT AND LOSS OF DATA), COSTS, EXPENSES AND PAYMENTS, EITHER IN TORT, CONTRACTUAL, OR IN ANY OTHER FORM OF LIABILITY, ARISING FROM, OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE USE OF, OR THE INABILITY TO USE, THE SERVICE, OR FROM ANY FAILURE, ERROR, OR BREAKDOWN IN THE FUNCTION OF THE SERVICE, OR FROM ANY FAULT OR ERROR MADE BY FUNTREKS STAFF OR ANYONE ACTING ON FUNTREKS’ BEHALF, OR FROM YOUR RELIANCE ON THE CONTENT OF THE SERVICE, OR FROM ANY COMMUNICATION WITH THE SERVICE, OR WITH OTHER USERS ON OR THROUGH THE SERVICE, OR FROM ANY DENIAL OR CANCELLATION OF YOUR USER ACCOUNT, OR FROM RETENTION, DELETION, DISCLOSURE AND ANY OTHER USE OR LOSS OF YOUR CONTENT THROUGH THE SERVICE.  IN ANY EVENT, YOUR SOLE REMEDY WILL BE LIMITED TO CORRECTING SUCH ERRORS OR MALFUNCTIONS.