Recommended Route Missouri Gulch 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 The trailhead is approximately fourteen miles north of Buena Vista, and eight miles west at Clear Creek Reservoir. The trailhead is clearly marked, parking and outhouses are available. Follow the well-marked Missouri Gulch trail to the Missouri Gulch Basin, toward Elkhead Pass. The route up Missouri cuts off the main trail prior to Elkhead Pass, and gains Missouri’s northwest ridge. This is a route, not a trail. Construction was completed in 2001. Follow the ridge southeast. The ridge route contains loose rock and has some exposure. Snow is often on the ridge until late in the summer; an ice axe should be considered.

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 recommended route and that each guidebook’s description or route name may vary slightly.

Peak Specific Environmental and Safety Concerns This area is subject to Wilderness Area regulations: Group size limit is 15. No camping or campfires within 100 feet of trail or streams. Dogs must be leashed at all times. No motorized or mechanical equipment. Many rare, endangered, or sensitive species exist along this route. Please try to remain on already impacted areas to protect species. Travel on trails, rock, and snow wherever possible and avoid walking on vegetation.