Longs Peak Trailhead

Photo by Erik Stensland Morning Light Photography.

The window of opportunity for hiking Longs Peak is normally from mid-July through mid-September when the trail is designated as non-technical.  Start very early, well before sunrise, if you plan to hike Longs as a day hike and be off of the summit by noon to avoid afternoon storms.  Alternatively, you can hike to the Boulderfield, camp there and then summit the following day.

Past the Keyhole, the route is marked with bull's-eyes painted on the rock.  First you'll follow a stretch called The Ledges.  Then you'll climb the steep section knows as the Trough.  Be careful of falling rock here kicked up by hikers above you.  Then you'll come to a stretch called the Narrows, a ledge that looks worse than it really is.  Then finally the Home Stretch, a steep smooth slab of granite that leads to the summit.  The summit itself is large and relatively flat.

Please click on the following link to view a web page provided by the National Parks Service about hiking Longs Peak.
Climbing Longs Peak