Acorn Creek Trailhead

"Each leg of this trail offers something different, and each area is more gorgeous than the next. It’s the most difficult in this guide, though definitely still solidly in the “moderate difficulty” range. Just be sure you’re up for some challenge, and well acclimated. Take it slow, listen to your body, and you won’t be sorry. This hike begins with an ascent through a meadow, which gradually turns into an Aspen forest. The sheer volume of wildflowers in this beginning will stun you! As the trail ascends, you climb through pine forests, eventually opening up some gorgeous views of the Ptarmigan Peak Wilderness. You’ll cross a creek a handful of times, before looping around south and emerging in a huge meadow facing an epic view of the Gore Range. If the beauty of the peaks don’t distract you too much, you’ll also find yourself immersed in a blanket of wildflowers, most prominent of which are blue lupines and yellow Arrowleaf Balsamroot. As you descend through the meadow, back into the forest, look for wild blue iris and columbines along the trail before ending up back at the parking lot. This trail is definitely known as a wildflower spot, but for good reason, and other flower seekers are absolutely no reason to avoid it. If you get here in late June, July, or early August, I promise you will feel downright euphoric at the sheer beauty! Difficulty Rating: Moderate Popularity Rating: Moderate Shadiness Factor: Mixed -Trailhead: Acorn Creek Trailhead -Stats: 4.7 mi RT, 1000 ft elevation gain -Getting there: Easy access from paved road -Parking: FREE designated parking lot -Restrooms at the trailhead: None -Puppers: Welcome on-leash; Doggie bags available at trailhead -Best time to visit: This trail has epic views year-round, but is particularly stellar in June-July for wildflowers, or in September for Aspen leaf peeping -Add-ons: Instead of doing this as a loop, you can hike the full Acorn Creek Trail for a 7 mile hike, or hike all the way up to Ute Peak for a 9 mile hike. 📍Summit County, Colorado is located on the ancestral homelands of the Núu-agha-tʉvʉ-pʉ̱ (Ute) peoples"