Beginner Hikes in Colorado, Trekking the Monarch Pass Loop near Salida

Disclosure: When you buy something through the Affiliate product links I have created below, I earn a small commission. I only promote products and companies I support as well as believe in

Looking to explore one of many Colorado Mountain Passes? With Colorado having numerous amazing mountain passes to drive along in the summer and fall, Monarch Pass is one you should add to the list. The top of Monarch Pass is actually right where the ski resort is, Monarch Mountain. A smaller mountain with a local vibe. In the summer there is a scenic gondola and also a few hiking/biking trails. If you’re staying in Salida, this is an awesome place to check out in my opinion as you’ll get the alpine mountain experience that you won’t get in Salida or BV.

Even better is if you are looking for an easier hike that isn’t too intense, because the Monarch Pass Loop is about as easy as it gets, with some incredible scenic views . With that being said, in this post I’ll be going over directions to the trail, where to park, and detailed trail info! Alright lets do this.

How to get to the trailhead and where to park

From Salida you will drive past Poncha Springs and take a right onto US-50W all the way to the top of the pass. As you are driving you will pass the ski resort on the right, keep driving until you see a large parking lot on the left! You are in the right parking lot if you see the Scenic Ride building and the Continental Divide Sign. The drive itself is about 22 miles and takes close to 30 minutes from downtown Salida.

Once parked, you will want to walk towards the end of the parking lot, away from the Monarch resort buildings, and across the street towards the large yellow 6% grade truck sign. There won’t be a trail sign, but you will see the trail.

Trail Stats

Distance - 3.2 miles

Elevation Gain - 488 feet

Trail Type - Loop

Dogs Allowed - Yes, but should be on leash

What are the Trail details and What to Expect

Although the trail is easy to navigate I found that downloading Alltrails on your smartphone ahead of time is a great way not to get lost. With that being said, Once you cross the street and find the yellow sign, you can go in either direction because the trail is a loop, but I liked going to the right. This part of the trail has some elevation gain! So be prepared for that. But once it levels off, the mountain views are pretty awesome.

This is also the part in the trail where it gets easier and starts to level off. As you loose sight of the mountain views, you enter the part of the hike surrounded by pine trees.

Eventually you’ll come across a dirt road, take a left and this road will take you to the top of the Old Monarch Pass continental Divide (11,375 Feet). You can see for miles from the top of this road and it’s also a great place to grab lunch and hang out for a bit, maybe grab a photo. The national forest that you see is going to be part of the Gunnison national forest!

Just remember to do your best to stay on trail. I saw some people venture up to a rock pile, and that is not going to be a part of this loop. Hike across the ridge line and just take in the scenery on this part of the loop.

The last part of this trail is going to be downhill through Alpine forests, not really any views until the very end. If you hiked this trail in the afternoon the view at the very end of the hike where you see the road, and mountains in the background, is breathtaking in my opinion.

Is there noise from the road

I read a few reviews on AllTrails that said the noise from the road was a negative about the hike. I would have to disagree. Only part of the hike is close to the highway, and you hardly even notice it the highway noise. It’s not that busy of a road either.

What to Pack

Depends on the time of year, but a few things that you should have with you on this trail are good hiking footwear/hiking socks (No Cotton!), a rain jacket, some kind of layer (even in the summer), and water/snacks. Hiking footwear can be found either at a local REI store, local outdoor gear shop, or online. Just keep in mind that you are in the mountains and weather shows up out of no where sometimes!

Lastly, don’t forget to apply sunscreen at least 15 minutes before your hike. Because you are at a higher altitude the sun is more intense.

If you liked this hike, other hikes I really liked near Salida were, Waterdog Lakes & Tenderfoot Hill (Right in town). Thanks for checking out the blog and I’ll see you on the next post!

Favorite Trails near Salida Colorado, Hiking to the Tenderfoot Hill Tower and Loop

Disclosure: When you buy something through the Affiliate product links I have created below, I earn a small commission. I only promote products and companies I support as well as believe in

After discovering river surfing in Salida Colorado, I started to take trips to Chaffee County in the summer and this past summer I ended up spending some time in Salida, not just river surfing, but exploring a lot of the outdoor recreation this area has to offer. The actual town reminds me of something out of the 1960’s as it has an old fashion feel to it, with brick buildings, small shops, and even a revamped drug store that sells ice cream. It’s a more quiet town which is why I like to visit the area so much in the summer. If you love the outdoors especially river activities, Salida is one of the best, if not the best places in the state for that kind of outdoor passion.

Right in town is an awesome trail that you can either loop it or just hike up to the watch tower and back down into town. I decided to hike the entire loop starting in the afternoon and was racing the clock towards the end as the sun was going down. Needless to say I was able to get back to the parking lot before dark and really enjoyed this trail for how different it was compared to a lot of the hikes I’ve done in Colorado.

In this post I’ll be going over parking details, more specific trail information, what to expect, and lastly what you should pack. Cool lets do this!

Where is Salida

Salida is located in Chaffee county right next to Buena Vista and South West of Denver. The Arkansas River runs right through the town and you’re also not far from the 14,000 foot plus collegiate peaks such as Mount Princeton, Yale, and Harvard.

Where is the Trailhead and where should we park

What’s cool about this trailhead is it is actually right in town. Close to the Boathouse restaurant and Scout River Wave there is a free parking lot. The trailhead will be across an old set of railroad tracks. If you plan on hiking the entire loop I would highly recommend downloading the map ahead of time on Alltrails, as there are number of cross points where you could go left or right and it can be confusing.

Trailhead Coordinates: 38.53796, -105.98974

What to Pack

Depends on the time of year, but a few things that you should have with you on this trail are good hiking footwear/hiking socks (No Cotton!), a rain jacket, some kind of layer (even in the summer), and water/snacks. Hiking footwear can be found either at a local REI store, local outdoor gear shop, or online. Just keep in mind that you are in the mountains and weather shows up out of no where sometimes!

Lastly, don’t forget to apply sunscreen at least 15 minutes before your hike. Because you are at a higher altitude the sun is more intense.

What should we expect and is this trail difficult

It’s not a difficult trail, but there are a lot of different turns you need to make in order to stay on the loop which in my opinion made it a more challenging hike. T

Trail Stats

Distance: 5.9 Miles

Elevation Gain: 1,135 feet

Time: Depends, but around 3-3.5 hours

Best time of year to hike this trail

The one awesome thing about Salida vs other higher elevation mountain towns is the weather tends to stay warmer longer. I would say the best time to hike this trail is from April-October and possibly even the winter if there isn’t too much snow.

Trail Specifics

Ok so once you cross the train tracks you’ll take a left onto the Frontside Trail and start making the ascent towards the watch tower. Keep in mind that there is a series of trails in this S Mountain area that are also bike trails, so make sure to watch out for bikers! The first part of this trail is pretty amazing because it will overlook downtown Salida along with the Arkansas River.

From the Frontside Trail you’ll then take a right onto the Burnpile Trail and then a right onto Spiral Dr. Spiral Dr. will be more like a road, stay on this to go up to the watchtower. If you don’t feel like doing the entire loop, honestly this is still a fun easy part of the trail worth checking out if you are short on time and need to turn around and head back.

The tower has a set of concrete stairs to walk up and then has views of the town from the highest point. Walk into the tower and you will also get views of the surrounding Chaffee County landscape, which is mix between large granite rocks and Alpine meadows.

Once you walk back down the tower you’ll want to continue onward to the Lil Rattler Trail!. As you continue to hike you’ll end up on the Pano Trail, At one point you can hike up to a small overlook area on the Pano trail. This is the part of the trail that can get somewhat confusing and having a pre-downloaded map from AllTrails will be very helpful!

My favorite part of this trail was the topography. There’s a number of trees throughout the trail called Pinyon Pines and they have this like desert look to them. As you hike the loop you’ll loose views of the town and only be surrounded by the Alpine hills and boulders.

From the Pano Trail you’ll then take right onto the Dudes Abide trail and then another right shortly after onto the Pauli Trail.

As you start to make your way towards the second half of the trail you’ll get those awesome views of the town and the mountains behind the town again. The mountains in the background are Poncha Mountain (10,135 ft), Methodist Mountain (11,690 ft), and Simmons Peak (12,038 ft). The second half of the trail will also be downhill, so again, watch out for downhill mountain bikers.

The last part of this loop is the Hooligan trail to Upper and Lower Sand Dune trails. As you descend the last part of the trail watch your step as there will be a couple areas that you need step down (kind of like a stair). I liked the very end of this hike because it felt like you were in a canyon at one point with rock walls on each side of you. If you hiked this trail in the afternoon enjoy the sunset as you head towards the parking area.

Looking for other hikes in the Salida area? Check out the Waterdog Lakes trail up near Monarch Pass! If you have any questions or comments on this trail, drop them below. Thanks for checking out the blog and I’ll see you on the next post.