Mount Oxford

Our Work CFI completed major trail construction and restoration on Mt. Oxford from 1995-1996. Due to annual traffic on this peak, the standard route is maintained regularly by CFI and partner organizations.

Recommended Route Missouri Gulch via Mt. Belford. Please stay on the designated route to protect the rare and sensitive plants species in the area. Use of this route will help reduce impacts to this Fourteener’s fragile alpine environment. For more detailed route information including pictures, maps, and elevation profiles, click here.

Route Information and Additional Resources From Leadville, drive 20 miles south on US-24 and turn right on Chaffee County Road 390. Continue 7.5 miles to reach a sign for the Missouri Gulch Trailhead. Turn left and drive to the parking area.

Start down the Missouri Gulch Trailhead from the parking area. At 10,400, leave the switchbacks and continue up Missouri Gulch. At 11,600, the trail splits. To the right is the  Elkhead Pass trail, and the Mt. Belford trail continues to the left. Follow the Mt. Belford trail to the summit.

From the summit of Mt. Belford, follow the trail southeast across Belford. Turn left and cross down the ridge, heading towards the Belford-Oxford saddle. Follow this trail to the summit of Mt. Belford. From the summit of Mt. Oxford, follow this route back to the summit of Mt. Belford and down to the trailhead.

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 The trail enters the Collegiate Peaks Wilderness Area. Party size must be limited to 15 and dogs must be kept on leash and away from streams or lakes. The only approved route up Mt. Oxford is over Mt. Belford.