The Best Lost Creek Wilderness Hikes

By Matt Enquist

• Includes maps, trailhead directions, and guided hiking instructions for 20 of the best trails in the wilderness area.
• Special consideration is given for the overnight hiker with guidance on which hikes to link up.

Colorado’s Lost Creek Wilderness is the closest federally-designated Wilderness Area to Colorado Springs and is just 60 miles southwest of Denver. Home to soaring granite domes, disappearing rivers, rare granite arches, and high mountain parks full of moose, sheep, and bear, the Lost Creek Wilderness is a hiker’s refuge close to home. Pair the scenery with a significantly longer hiking season than most of Colorado, given its lower elevation, and the Lost Creek Wilderness is the Front Range’s year-round escape.

Routes described range from mellow hikes through the ruins of backcountry timber camps to above-treeline explorations of the unique granite spires and boulder caves found throughout the area. Choose your hike based on what you want to see or how far you want to travel. Each hike lists elevation gain, round trip distance, trail highlights, hiking time, and suggestions for expanding your adventure.