Longs Peak Trail – Rocky Mountain

Distance: 14.5 miles Elevation Gain: 5100 ft Difficulty: Strenuous Type: Out-and-Back Surface: dirt, rock, and boulder Activity: Hiking Best Season: July-September Typical Time: 10-15 hours Fee: Park entrance fee required Dogs: False Permit: True

Longs Peak stands at 14,259 feet and holds the distinction of being the only fourteener entirely within Rocky Mountain National Park. The standard Keyhole Route climbs 5,100 feet over 7.25 miles one-way, beginning at the Longs Peak Trailhead at 9,400 feet elevation. The trail winds through subalpine forest and past Goblin's Forest before breaking into tundra near the Boulder Field at 12,760 feet. The famous Keyhole—a notch in the ridge framed by an NPS-maintained stone shelter—marks the transition from hiking to Class 3 scrambling. Above the Keyhole, hikers traverse the Ledges, navigate the Trough (a steep couloir often holding snow into August), edge across the Narrows, and finally ascend the Homestretch slab to the broad summit plateau. A day-use permit system (required July through September) limits daily starts and has reduced dangerous crowding near the summit. Most successful ascents begin before 3 a.m. to beat afternoon lightning. The peak sees over 15,000 summit attempts annually, with roughly half reaching the top due to weather and technical difficulty.