Best Summit Hikes in Colorado: 50 Classic Routes and 90+ Summits

Summit Colorado mountains by hiking to the peaks!

In the Rocky Mountains, hikers can experience the adrenaline rush of a mountain climber! Let James Dziezynski guide you along 55 of Colorado’s top summit hikes. Conquer some of the most famous peaks (Longs), some of the toughest (Storm King), and some of the most remote (Lone Cone). The expert author leads you to countless breathtaking views, and his spirited descriptions reveal why each trip ranks among the very best.

Now in full color, this inspiring guide covers all of Colorado’s major ranges, including Front, Sangre de Cristo, Sawatch, San Juan, Mosquito, and Tenmile. You’ll stand atop the highest mountain in the state; visit the ruins of a town flattened by an avalanche; hunt for fossilized seashells more than two miles above sea level; and enjoy countless scrambles, ridge walks, and traverses through Colorado’s stunning alpine scenery.

Each hike includes:

• Topographic map with GPS waypoints and elevation profile


• Difficulty and class ratings tailored to Colorado’s unique terrain


• Optional routes for further exploration


• Fascinating trivia and history

＂There is so much of Colorado that is still wild and lonely, and James Dziezynski takes you there in this book. And because he has spent so much time figuring these trips out from a logistical standpoint, it’s an easy guidebook to follow. You have a guide whose passion for the high peaks makes the climb up even more enjoyable.＂
--Doug Schnitzspahn, Elevation Outdoors

Boulder-based author James Dziezynski is a mountaineer and explorer who has scaled more than 600 Colorado summits. He has climbed in the Arctic, Greenland, the jungles of several Caribbean islands, Mexico, the American and Canadian Rockies, and just about every US state. His work has appeared in Outside, Backpacker, Hooked on the Outdoors, Women’s Adventure, Boulder Weekly, Electronic Gaming Monthly, Gamefaqs.com, and Mountain Biking, among other publications.