Colorado's Arapaho Pass Trails

Arapaho Pass Trail

Description:
The Arapaho Pass Trail begins at the Monarch Lake Trailhead on the north and the Fourth of July Trailhead on the south. This trail sees moderate use from July 1 to September 15 and is of moderate difficulty. The trail starts at an elevation of 8,356 feet and passes through a maximum elevation of 11,942 feet. The trail begins on the south side of Arapaho Creek just southeast of Monarch Lake. From the Monarch Lake Trailhead take the Southside Trail along the south side of the lake for 1.6 miles. This trail intersects the Arapaho Pass trail after crossing a large wooden bridge over Arapaho Creek. Fishing can be good for brook trout in Arapaho Creek after spring runoff.
The trail climbs the east side of the creek drainage making several switchbacks along the way. It travels through a dense forest of spruce and fir trees. The path of the trail generally parallels Arapaho Creek, periodically turning away from the creek and returning. In many places it is 100 to 150 feet above the creek and right next to it in others. The steepness of the trail over its 3,600 foot elevation gain ranges in difficulty from nearly level walks through dense forest to short moderate climbs up the slopes of the creek drainage to the difficult climb up the north side of the pass.
About midway down the north section of the trail you pass through an area of beautiful lichen-covered rock formations. The most famous of these is Chair Rock. This kitchen chair sized rock sits right next to the trail below a rock wall on the east side of the trail. This unusual formation is located about 6.2 miles from the Monarch Lake trailhead. A short distance ahead, the trail crosses Arapaho Creek over a makeshift log bridge. It then makes a moderate climb up the drainage to the bench below Arapaho Pass. Here lies Caribou Lake. Camping is permitted in designated sites only. No open fires are allowed. This is a very beautiful area offering spectacular views of the surrounding peaks. It is about nine miles from the Monarch Lake Trailhead to Caribou Lake.
The trail up through the pass is a steep 1.4 mile climb making 21 switchbacks. As with most passes, Arapaho Pass can be quite windy. The trail intersects the Caribou Pass Trail at the south edge of the pass. The views here are magnificent in all directions. The trail makes a moderate descent along the rocky slopes for a little over a mile to where it intersects the Glacier Rim Trail. This trail is located just past the remains of the Fourth of July Mine. From here it is a little over an hours hike down to the Fourth of July Trailhead. The trail descends through a series of wet meadows and spruce forests.

Features:

Length:	11.8 miles (19 kilometers)
Elevation Range:	8,360' - 11,942'
Elevation change:	5,404 feet
Season:	July 1 - Sept 15
Difficulty:	Moderate
Use:	Very high
USGS maps:	East Portal, Monarch Lake
Trailheads:	Fourth of July, Monarch Lake
Restrictions:	Pets must be on a leash, no campfires in Neva and Caribou Travel Zones
Suitable for mountain bikes:	No (not permitted in wilderness)
Suitable for horses:	Yes (north side of pass could be tricky)

Vicinity Map

Altitude Profile

Other Nearby Resources:

Arapaho Bay Campground Lake Granby

Monarch Lake

Directions:
To reach the Fourth of July Trailhead take County Road 130 west from Nederland (turnoff is just south of town) toward the town of Eldora. Continue west on County Road 111 just west of Eldora. Follow the narrow dirt road for about five miles to the Buckingham Campground. The trailhead is just west of the campground.

To reach the Monarch Lake Trailhead take Highway 34 north from Granby to the entrance of the Arapaho National Recreation Area. Travel east on Forest Road 125 for about 10 miles to the Monarch Lake Trailhead.