GUNUNG · United States

Pikes Peak

Information

Elevation: 4.302 m
Country: United States (US)
Location / Range: Front Range, Rocky Mountains, Colorado, United States — within Pikes Peak Wilderness and Pike National Forest
Mountain type: Granite mountain (non-volcanic)
Volcanic?: No (non-volcanic)
Coordinates: 38.8405, -105.0444
Difficulty: Moderate–Hard via the Barr Trail (Class 1, non-technical — but the 27 km round trip and 4,302 m altitude require good physical preparation); easy by vehicle on the Pikes Peak Highway
Best Season: June–September (snow-free trail; avoid afternoon climbs as thunderstorms often build after 13:00 in summer)
Permits & Rules: No special permit for hiking via the Barr Trail or Crags Route; the Pikes Peak Highway requires a paid ticket and a mandatory timed-entry reservation May–September (via pikespeakcolorado.com); summit access is open year-round (weather permitting)
Hazards: Altitude sickness (AMS) is common at the 4,302 m summit — even if reached by car, there's no prior acclimatization; intense afternoon thunderstorms in summer (descending before 13:00 is strongly advised); hypothermia and extreme cold (−20°C in winter); very strong UV above the treeline

Description

Pikes Peak (4,302 m / 14,115 ft) — dubbed 'America's Mountain' — is the most famous summit in Colorado's Front Range and one of the most recognizable among the state's 50-plus fourteeners. It inspired the patriotic song 'America the Beautiful' when Katharine Lee Bates visited in 1893. The peak can be reached three ways: hiking via Barr Trail (13.5 miles one-way, 7,400 ft gain — the only official hiking route), driving the Pikes Peak Highway (a 19-mile toll road to the summit), or riding the Manitou and Pikes Peak Cog Railway (the USA's highest cog railway). Barr Trail, built by Fred Barr in the early 1900s, passes Barr Camp (~11,000 ft) as a midway rest point. Pikes Peak also hosts the legendary Pikes Peak International Hill Climb ('Race to the Clouds') since 1916.

Gallery

Foto bersumber dari Wikimedia Commons — klik untuk memperbesar & lihat sumbernya.

Routes

Barr Trail (Jalur Standar dari Timur — East Slopes)

Sedang–Berat

43.40 km +2256 m 6–12 jam (round trip, tergantung kebugaran)

Barr Trail (13.5 miles one-way) is the only official hiking route to Pikes Peak's summit, starting from Barr Trail Trailhead in Manitou Springs (~6,707 ft). It climbs through ponderosa pine forest then open alpine terrain via Barr Camp (~11,000 ft, mile 6.5), which has a shelter, water, and camping. Above Barr Camp, the trail switchbacks steeply to the 14,115-ft summit. Class 1 non-technical, but its length makes it one of Colorado's most demanding fourteeners. Starting before 6 a.m. to summit and descend before afternoon thunderstorms is strongly advised.

Route Segments

1

Barr Trail Trailhead → Barr Camp

↔ 10.5 km ↑ 1385 m ⏱ 4–5 jam 3.430 mdpl

Hutan pinus lebat → zona sub-alpine; sumber air dan shelter tersedia di Barr Camp
2

Barr Camp → Puncak Pikes Peak

↔ 11.2 km ↑ 872 m ⏱ 3–4 jam 4.302 mdpl

Lereng alpine terbuka; A-Frame Shelter di mi 12; bagian berbatu menuju puncak; altitude sickness umum terjadi di atas 4.000 m

Source

Crags Route (Jalur Barat via Devil's Playground)

Sedang

23.30 km +1342 m 8–10 jam (round trip)

The Crags Route from the west offers only ~4,400 ft of elevation gain — far less than Barr Trail — with a higher trailhead at Crags Campground (~10,000 ft). The route crosses beautiful granite boulder terrain through Devil's Playground, then crosses the Pikes Peak Highway and climbs the northwest side to the summit. Class 1–2 with some boulder scrambling near the top. A popular alternative for those wanting to summit without Barr Trail's marathon distance.

Route Segments

1

Crags Campground Trailhead → Devil's Playground

↔ 6 km ↑ 640 m ⏱ 3–4 jam 3.690 mdpl

Terrain granit terbuka; pemandangan Front Range; angin kencang di zona alpine
2

Devil's Playground → Puncak Pikes Peak

↔ 5.6 km ↑ 702 m ⏱ 2–3 jam 4.302 mdpl

Menyeberangi Pikes Peak Highway; scramble berbatu kelas 2; puncak ramai pengunjung dari highway dan kereta

Source

Pikes Peak Highway (Scenic Drive — Tanpa Hiking)

Tidak ada (berkendara)

30.60 km +2057 m 2–4 jam round trip

Pikes Peak Highway is a 19-mile paved-and-gravel toll road driving visitors directly to the 14,115-ft summit without hiking — the highest paved toll road in North America. A Summit Visitor Center with café, souvenir shop, and restrooms awaits at the top. Timed-entry reservations are mandatory May–September; per-person fees apply. The road can close unexpectedly due to weather, especially outside summer.

Source

Climbing Experiences

Pikes Peak (4,302 m) is 'America's Mountain' — Colorado's most famous fourteener, reachable by both hiking and car. Hikers experience a unique contrast: the long, strenuous Barr Trail ends at a busy summit with a souvenir shop and visitors who drove up. Summer afternoon thunderstorms are the primary challenge.

References

The summary above is compiled from the following sources. Click to explore them yourself.