Deer Ridge Junction: Deer Mountain Trail, Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado
Deer Ridge Junction: Deer Mountain Trail
Rocky Mountain National Park
Deer Mountain caps a massive, divisive ridge between Beaver Meadows (south), and Horseshoe Park (northwest). This relatively short hike follows a well-maintained trail through ponderosa parks, aspen stands, and subalpine forests to the summit, which rises just above all other points on the ridge. The trail's southern exposure clears it of snow longer than many others in the Park, extending accessibility from late spring to early winter.
| Related Trails: | Deer Mountain |
Young elk in the open lower slopes of Deer Mountain
Aspen are deciduous trees that can reach 45-90' tall
Deer Mountain summit (10,013')
Mt Chapin, Mt Chiquita, and Ypsilon Mountain nudge over the horizon from Deer Ridge Junction
Aspen typically grow in large clonal colonies derived from a single seedling; new stems in the colony may appear up to 120' from the parent tree
Views across Horseshoe Park and Fall River from the Deer Mountain Trail
Views of the Mummy Range on a west-facing switchback on Deer Mountain
Panoramas over Beaver Meadows and Moraine Park on the hike to Deer Mountain
Views over Horseshoe Park
Wildflowers mid-way up the trail.
Snow-capped peaks can be seen year-round in the Park.
Looking down on Horseshoe Park, an area known for Elk and Bighorn Sheep
Longs Peak as seen from the Deer Mountain trail.
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