SUPPORT CFIEvery donation counts!
CONNECTFollow CFI on Facebook
Add us on Facebook! Follow our updates and see our newest crew photos from the field.
Find out how to promote your page tooUPDATESWhat we've been doing
- Seasonal Trail Positions Closed
– March 7, 2013
CFI is no longer accepting applications for 2013 seasonal positions. If still interested in becoming a member of our 2014 seasonal trail crew, please check … Read More
- Seasonal Trail Positions Open!
– January 9, 2013
Colorado Fourteeners Initiative will have an expanded field presence in 2013. We are looking for 16 enthusiastic, hard-working seasonal staff leaders/members to complete these projects … Read More
- Everyone Poops…Even in the Woods
– November 9, 2012
The end of the season is here. Basecamp is packed out and it’s time to clean the “groover” buckets. For an extra hundred bucks, Andy … Read More
- Finding the Word to Sum Up a Season
– November 2, 2012
What does it feel like to open 3,300 feet of new, durably constructed, sustainably located trail? No one word can describe that specific moment. The … Read More
Castle Peak
- Elevation:14,264 feet (14th highest)
- Maps:USGS Quad: Mount Humboldt
Trails Illustrated® – TOPO Map # 127
Click here to purchase Trails Illustrated® maps for this route. - Contact:US Forest Service, Aspen Ranger District (970) 925-3445
Recommended Route
Montezuma Basin route—use of this route will help to reduce impacts to this Fourteener’s fragile alpine environment. For detailed route information including pictures, maps, and elevation profiles, click here.
Route Information and Additional Resources
From Aspen, go northwest on CO 82 to the junction with Ashcroft and Maroon Lake roads. Go left, then immediately take the left-hand fork to Castle Creek. Go 11.5 miles to Ashcroft and then 1.5 miles to a fork. The main road (left at the fork) becomes very rough. Most vehicles cannot make it up this road, and should be parked at the valley floor. Hike up into Montezuma Basin. Just south of Montezuma Mine, hike southwest toward Castle Peak. Stay on the clear trail all the way to the summit.
The above information does not replace the need to consult additional maps and Colorado Fourteener Guidebooks for more detailed route descriptions. We suggest checking multiple resources before departing on any hike. Keep in mind that not all guidebooks list this as a recommended route and that each guidebook’s description or route name may vary slightly.
Peak Specific Environmental and Safety Concerns
No camping is allowed in the Castle Creek Valley. Camping is allowed on the dirt road to Montezuma Basin in one of the six designated sites. There are many social trails that have been created on this peak’s upper slopes. Take care to stay on the main trail.