By Nick Clark
Not just for rock climbers. Not even close.
It was early June and word had it that the lower trails in Rocky Mountain National Park (RMNP) were largely clear of snow: Finally, some one-on-one time with the beautifully maintained trails at Rocky, and some higher-elevation training to boot. Now the only decision to make was which section of the 265,000-acre park to visit. With over 350 miles of trail, the choices are endless, especially later in the summer when every inch of dirt is clear of its snowy winter coat.
Knowing the run would have to be at a lower elevation to avoid post-holing through drifts, I decided on an old standby and favorite among local trail runners: the Lumpy Ridge Loop. For bonus mileage, I also decided to throw in a couple of spurs to check out a fast-running waterfall and some interesting rock formations.
The launching point for most visitors to RMNP is Estes Park, which can only be described as a tourist town, but charming nonetheless. Estes still has something of a frontier-town feel, and, tourist destination or not, one cannot help but be blown away by the massive mountain views. Even the drive to Estes, whichever way you come, is sensational.
After a quick email to the Fort Collins Trail Runner listserv the day before, I was able to round up four companions for the morning’s outing. From Fort Collins/Loveland, the route to Estes is simple: Follow the Big Thompson River up the canyon via Highway 34. For the Lumpy trailhead, which actually sits outside the park proper, you’ll need to make a right at the small town of Drake, driving past some great lower-elevation mountain trailheads until you hit the high plateau where you’ll be greeted by breathtaking views of the iconic Front Range 14er peaks of Longs and Meeker.
By the time we hit the high plateau, we had already gained close to 3,000 feet in elevation from our starting point 30 miles east at the base of the Front Range. The Lumpy Ridge/Twin Owls trailhead lies at 7,870 feet, and is located off Devil’s Gulch Road, half a mile east of McGregor Ranch and a few miles north of Estes Park. It offers a large paved parking lot and pit outhouses, but no water.
It was 8:00 in the morning and the lot was already half full; by the time we were done with our four-hour run the parking lot was at capacity. This is a very popular part of the park, partly because it offers free entry, but also because there are some wonderful spots to visit within two miles of the trailhead, and because Lumpy offers some of the best rock climbing in Colorado.
I’ve done this 11-mile loop in both directions and either way it’s a good 3,000 feet of climbing to get around. Today, we made the decision to head clockwise, taking in the faces of Lumpy Ridge first before heading around the backside.
Heading clockwise, we hit the Black Canyon Trail for the first two to three miles of relatively flat, hard-packed trail. It was windy but sunny, as this part of the trail travels through an open area that is exposed to the elements. Twenty to 30 minutes into the run, after a turn onto the Dark Mountain Trail, we found ourselves under shadow of trees and beginning our first climb of the day, which took us to the high point of the loop at just over 9,000 feet and four miles into the run.
Making a right (east) at the intersection with the Cow Creek Trail, there is a sharp drop off and fun freewheeling down tight switchbacks. Before we knew it, we were out of the trees running through beautiful meadows and basking in the early morning Colorado sun. Mountain flowers were just blooming and the mountain scenes were close to perfect.
At mile six, we came to an intersection with the Bridal Veil Falls Trail and made a left for the one-mile, somewhat-scrambly pitch to one of the parks many, many waterfalls.
After a quick pit-stop at the falls, we turned around and made our way back to the task at hand. To complete the Lumpy loop, we made a right at the Gem Lake Trail and hunkered down for the two-mile, 1,500-foot climb.
Our second extra-credit spur arrived near the top of the climb, with another short one-mile side trip to check out what is known as Balanced Rock. The name pretty much sums up what we saw.
Once back on the loop we continued up for another mile before reaching the scenic Gem Lake clearing. Gem Lake is small — Gem Pond would be a more apt name — but beautiful with some wonderful rock formations on one side and a sandy beach on the other. From here, it was a 1.7-mile, 1,000-foot drop back to the parking lot.
We had saved the best for last, as the views of Rocky Mountain National Park and Estes on the way down are, quite simply, out of this world. From the higher elevations, the vistas of Longs and the other high peaks of the park are massive.
As we continued to descend, a number of fantastic clearings opened up, offering more views of the mountains with Lake Estes and Estes Park in the foreground. Given the sunny day, this section’s proximity to the parking lot, and the stunning views, it was no great surprise to be dealing with significant foot traffic.
Once down, we had logged close to 16 miles and 3,000 feet of climbing. We wanted 20 miles on the day, so turned around and climbed back to Gem Lake and beyond, before turning around and heading back down for a total of 20 miles and 4,500 feet of climbing. Phew! A great morning with stunning views on sweet singletrack, and the first high-altitude workout of the summer.
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Where is it in the World?
Lumpy Ridge is located just north of Estes Park, Colorado in the northeast section of Rocky Mountain National Park (RMNP). The trails wind in and out of RMNP and are within an hour of the Front Range towns of Fort Collins, Loveland, Longmont and Denver. Estes offers any amenities a runner might need, but gets busy — very busy — in the summer season. Pick a sunny day to run Lumpy and you’ll be dealing with crowds anywhere within two miles of the main trailhead. Beyond the two-mile radius, you won’t see too many people.
Coming from Fort Collins/Loveland, take Highway 34 west (accessible from I-25) to Drake. Make a right on County Road 43, heading towards Glen Haven. Continue through the very small town of Glen Haven and continue on Devil’s Gulch Road until you see the sign for the Lumpy trailhead to the north.
From Estes Park drive north on McGregor Avenue, accessed from Highway 34 just west of the Stanley Hotel (Steven King’s inspiration for The Shining). After approximately one mile heading north, McGregor Avenue veers east and becomes Devils Gulch Road; continue east past McGregor Ranch, after which you will soon see a sign for the trailhead road.
From Denver, take Highway 36 all the way northwest to Estes and follow directions above. Entry is free.
Map
Elevation Profile
Degree of Difficulty
- Technical: Moderate
- Physical: Moderate
- Total Distance: 11-16 miles
- Total Ascent: 2,500 – 3,500
- Total Descent: 2,900 – 3,500
What to Expect
The loop is 100% singletrack with two significant climbs of between 1,000 and 1,500 feet. You’ll run on a mix of terrain from smooth hardpack to rocky, rooty, technical singletrack, to pine-blanketed wooded trail. The loop runs through forest, meadows and large open spaces. The grade on the climbs can be very steep in places.
The trailhead is at just under 8,000 feet and the loop climbs above 9,000 feet, so be prepared for colder temperatures if the sun is obscured. The Colorado sun can be deceptively hot, so be sure to cover up or lather up.
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