AMBLEWAY Wildest hikes

Arapaho National Forest

Dakota Hill–Apex Road, 7 sights

10.8 mi · ▲ 2,479 ft · 4 hr 50 min

Dakota Hill–Apex Road, 7 sights is a 10.8-mile out-and-back in Arapaho National Forest near Gilpin, CO. The route reaches Dakota Hill at the turnaround, 5.4 miles in. It climbs 2,479 ft, with sections as steep as 23% grade. It scores 75/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: genuinely wild.

Elevation

0 mi9,101 – 10,919 ft · steepest grade: 23%11.1 mi

Getting there

Trailhead: Ellsworth Gulch Spur Road 39.88043, -105.50721
Nearest town Gilpin, CO
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Directions

AMBLEWAYwww.ambleway.com

Dakota Hill–Apex Road, 7 sights

10.8 mi · ▲ 2,479 ft · 4 hr 50 min

Elevation 9,102–10,918 ft

Out & Back · Arapaho National Forest

Trailhead: Ellsworth Gulch Spur Road · 39.88043, -105.50721

Weather Sep 4: Overcast, high 76°F / low 54° · precip 18% · wind 7 mph · sunrise 6:34 AM · sunset 7:30 PM

  1. Start on Ellsworth Gulch Spur Road, heading SE.
  2. 0.5 miTurn left onto Fairburn Mountain Road, heading S.
  3. 0.3 miContinue straight onto Fairburn Spurs Road, heading SW.
  4. 0.8 miSharp left, heading SW.
  5. 0.4 miTurn right onto Missouri Gulch Spur Road, heading SE.
  6. 350 ftBear right, heading SW.
  7. 0.7 miTurn left onto Gamble Gulch Road, heading NW.
  8. 0.5 miContinue straight onto Dakota Hill Road, heading W.
  9. 1.2 miContinue straight onto Dakota Hill Spur Road, heading SW.
  10. 0.3 miBear left onto Apex Road, heading SE.
  11. 0.1 miBear left onto Dakota Hill, heading S.
  12. 0.5 miReach Dakota Hill, then turn around and head back the way you came.
  13. 0.5 miBear right onto Apex Road, heading NW.
  14. 0.1 miBear right onto Dakota Hill Spur Road, heading N.
  15. 0.3 miContinue straight onto Dakota Hill Road, heading E.
  16. 0.2 miBear right, heading NE.
  17. 1 miContinue straight onto Gamble Gulch Road, heading SE.
  18. 0.5 miTurn right onto Missouri Gulch Spur Road, heading E.
  19. 0.8 miTurn left, heading E.
  20. 0.4 miSharp right onto Fairburn Spurs Road, heading E.
  21. 0.8 miContinue straight onto Fairburn Mountain Road, heading NE.
  22. 0.3 miTurn right onto Ellsworth Gulch Spur Road, heading N.
  23. 0.5 miArrive back at the trailhead.

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

Trail map, photos and weather for this hike: www.ambleway.com/hikes/dakota-hill-apex-road-out-back-5-sights-13-km

Trail surface

52% dirt48% unspecified

Weather

OvercastTemperature 76°F54°
Precip18%Wind7 mphUV8Humidity31%
Hourly temperatureRain chance
80°50° 2 PM: 1% rain3 PM: 7% rain4 PM: 18% rain5 PM: 7% rain6 PM: 4% rain7 PM: 4% rain8 PM: 9% rain9 PM: 8% rain10 PM: 7% rain11 PM: 13% rain
Sunrise 6:34 AM12 AM3 AM9 AM12 PM3 PMSunset 7:30 PM
Sat 73°57° 21%
Sun 71°54° 40%
Mon 72°53° 44%
Tue 74°50° 41%
Wed 71°49° 42%
Thu 76°53° 35%

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