By:
Submission
Great trail with solid elevation gain & amazing views. Getting to the trailhead without 4wd is possible but not advisable.
Very open parking, many great hikes off this trail including access to Mt. Harvard and Columbia.
If you do not have a high clearance car you may damage it. There is one spot on the road up where a Honda CR-V had to turn around in front of me. The wrangler had no problem. A skilled driver may be able to get through it with a midsize suv but I would probably just park and tack on the extra ~2 miles.
The hike was very beautiful. You will immediately start climbing in elevation and it happens fast. Going up is very strenuous. Going down is an easy jaunt. We day hiked up to the lake and hiked out in the dark and the ~5 mile hike down was fun and relaxing with head lamps.
North Cottonwood Creek trails lead you to the Collegiate Peaks, all of which stand over 14,000 feet above sea level. The trails are some of the hardest but finest hiking in the US. While I was not able to reach the Peak of Mount Harvard, I still enjoyed the experience thoroughly. The trail offers some of the best views I have ever seen! Getting there is not hard but the country road is leading to the trail is very rocky and gets very narrow as well as alot of pot holes. Excellent trail, but I would recommend for experiened only and also to allow yourself to acclimate to the elevation first.
