Rocky Mountain National Park's Deer Mountain Trail

Deer Mountain Trail

Description:
The Deer Mountain Trail begins at an elevation of 8,899 feet, climbs for about three miles to a point just below Deer Mountain (9,486 feet), and descends for almost another three miles to join the North Deer Mountain Trail at 8,397 feet. It intersects the Deer Mountain Summit Trail about half way. It is about .2 miles to the summit of Deer Mountain from here. Most people turn around at Deer Mountain. The second half of the trail receives little use but offers great views of the Estes Valley.

The trail leaves the trailhead and heads east where it soon splits with the North Deer Mountain Trail. It makes a steady climb to the east along the ridge. Soon it levels off, offering a pleasant walk through ponderosa pine. You get a great view of Longs and Twin Sisters peaks from here. As it travels through open areas you can gaze into the meadows below looking for grazing elk or deer in the early morning or late afternoon. After a while the trail turns north and makes a series of switchbacks as it continues to climb up through the more dense spruce and lodgepole pine. Although the views are less frequent in the dense forest, there are a few spots where you can see the expanse of Horseshoe Park and the peaks to the northwest.

The trail eventually enters an aspen grove where it levels off. It soon intersects the summit trail leading to the Deer Mountain Summit. This is a short (.2 miles) trail that climbs over a series of rock steps to the summit. Horses are not permitted on this trail. There is a hitch rack just east of the summit trail. The summit is very rocky but offers tremendous views of the Estes Valley and the surrounding peaks.

The Deer Mountain Trail continues east from the summit trail toward Estes Park. It descends the north-facing slope through lodgepole pine. This stretch of the trail gets quite rocky and suffers from erosion in spots. The trail crosses over to the south side of the ridge and descends the slope via numerous switchbacks. As the trail winds its way down the slope, the forest opens up and is dominated by Douglas fir. You get tremendous views of the Estes Valley along this section of the trail. The trail follows the contour of the ridge east and up through a saddle before intersecting with the North Deer Mountain Trail. The effort required to hike this trail is moderate to strenuous.

Features:

Length:	5.9 miles (9.5 kilometers)
Elevation Range:	8,394' - 9,938'
Elevation change:	2,904 feet
Season:	June 1- Nov 1
Difficulty:	Moderate
Use:	High
USGS maps:	Estes Park
Trailheads:	Deer Ridge
Restrictions:	No pets are permitted
Suitable for mountain bikes:	No (not permitted)
Suitable for horses:	Yes

Vicinity Map

Altitude Profile

Directions:
The Deer Mountain Trail can be accessed via the Deer Ridge Trailhead. Take Highway 36 about 3.4 miles from the Beaver Meadows Entrance to the trailhead located on the north side of the road. There is parking for 15 to 20 vehicles on the both sides of Highway 36.

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