Colorado Loops

[Allen Butts]

Does anyone know of any good 70-100 miles loops in Colorado? If there are any in the nearby states that would be nice too. I'm going to wait to do the JMT next year, now I'm just looking for something fun to do for 3 weeks after my lease is up! All ideas are welcome, if you have some sort of combination of trails that make a loop that would be good too.

[Luke Schmidt]

For a loop of that distance I think your best bet is going to be the Wimenchue Wildersness. There are lots of options for loops, figure 8s etc. Other areas to check might be the South San Juans or West Elk Wilderness. On balances I think the Wimenuche would be the most scenic, most wild (if popular in some areas) and best for a loop. There are a couple loops in the Lost Creek wilderness that could be strung together to get 70 miles or so but I still vote Wimenuche.

[Randy Martin]

What time of year are you going to do this?

[P. Larson]

You could do a 200 mile out and back. Do the Hardrock 100 route twice?

[Allen Butts]

Glad to hear you suggest that area, seeing as it was BY FAR my favorite part of my CT thru this summer. And to answer Randy's question I have a gap in between August 2nd and August 18th. I would only like to spend about 5 days on a trail though.

[Randy Martin]

There may not be a defined loop that long but you could string some things together to make something big. One loop that is on my list this summer is this shorter 22+ mile loop, however, if you pull down the MyTopo overlay on the map in the link below (see drop down in the upper right corner of the map) there are numerous loop connectors off this trail to easily make this a much bigger loop by following the South Fork of the Conejos River a little further west before it meets up with the Glacier Trail or a little further west and you meet the Continental Divide trail which you could then take south and connect to the Canon Verde trail back north east to meet back up with the original Conejos River trail and continue the 22 mile loop around. Looking at my topo map that would probably make it a 40+ mile route.

I also wouldn't rule out doing a choice section of the Colorado Trail (my vote would be the sections south of Hwy 50 starting near Lake City and going all the way to Silverton) if you could somehow arrange a friend to do pick you up.

http://www.trimbleoutdoors.com/ViewTrip/269051

[Allen Butts]

ooo paul great idea! Im thinking of running that in a couple of years too, that would be a great hike!

[P. Larson]

I'm sure you can link something together in Roosevelt Nat Forest. Hell, you can link Roosevelt and Medicine Bow Nat Forest. Or possibly, if you could, get someone to drop you off and do the northern CO part of the CDT to Denver?

[Dean F.]

Flat Tops Wilderness has a bunch of loop trails in it that can be strung together to make a hike of almost whatever length you want. I seen to recall planning a gigantic loop a couple of years ago, but it fell through. Lost Creek Wilderness is similar, but "crowded."

I'll get to Flat Tops one of these days…

[Ben Wortman]

+1 for the flat tops.

I have been out there several times. It does not have the high peaks that most of Colorado does, but it has its own unique beauty. I have been there hiking and hunting. Either way, you have the possibility to see ALOT of elk. I did all my trips from a remote trail head on the south side. One nice thing about the flat tops is that once you get up on the plateau, it is relatively flat.

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