Rocky Mountain National Park

Cow Creek Trail

5 mi · ▲ 925 ft · 2 hr 8 min

Cow Creek Trail is a 5-mile out-and-back in Rocky Mountain National Park near Olympus Heights, CO. It climbs 925 ft, with sections as steep as 21% grade, and is mostly dirt. It scores 85/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: genuinely wild.

Elevation

0 mi7,851 – 8,649 ft · steepest grade: 21%5.1 mi

Getting there

Trailhead: Cow Creek Trail 40.43143, -105.50312
Nearest town Olympus Heights, CO

Directions

AMBLEWAYwww.ambleway.com

Cow Creek Trail

5 mi · ▲ 925 ft · 2 hr 8 min

Elevation 7,851–8,649 ft

Out & Back · Rocky Mountain National Park

Trailhead: Cow Creek Trail · 40.43143, -105.50312

Weather Sep 4: sunrise 6:33 AM · sunset 7:31 PM

Horses allowed on the whole route · No dogs on part of this route · Toilets at the trailhead · Parking lot at the trailhead

  1. Start on Cow Creek Trail, heading W.
  2. 1 miSharp left onto Gem Lake Trail, heading E.
  3. 1.5 miReach the turnaround, then head back the way you came.
  4. 1.5 miSharp right onto Cow Creek Trail, heading NE.
  5. 0.9 miArrive back at the trailhead.

Each distance is the walk from the previous step. Tap a step for a map of its junction.

Trail surface

100% dirt

Weather

Sunrise 6:33 AMSunset 7:31 PM

Good to know

  • Horses allowed on the whole route
  • No dogs on part of this route
  • Toilets at the trailhead
  • Parking lot at the trailhead

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