Mount Elbert

Description

This is one of the two "standard routes" to the summit of Mount Elbert, the other being the North Mount Elbert Trail.

A round trip on the present route is either 11.2 miles (4850 feet of elevation gain) or 7.6 miles (4000 feet of elevation gain) depending on whether you start from the upper or lower trailhead.

The lower trailhead is located at the Lakeview Campground, located on Lake County 24, south of Leadville and north of Buena Vista. The upper trailhead is two miles further up the road, but the road is rough and only accessible to high clearance vehicles.

The trail is well-worn and easy to follow, featuring switchbacks through aspen and conifer forests, then a steady uphill hike through alpine meadows to the summit.

Elevation Plot