13 mi of trail, end to end · about 5,100 ft of climbing · 9,571 ft–12,458 ft · native material surface · trail No. 24 · trail class 2 · typical grade trail_grade · hiking, horse
TrailheadUte Pass/Peak TH #24 9,580 ft Drive there
Ute Pass/Peak TH #24 the Forest Service's write-up
The Ute Peak Trail offers some of the best views of the Gore Range. Initially the trail climbs up to Ute Peak and then stays on the ridge of the Williams Fork Range all the way to Ptarmigan Peak. There are sections where the trail becomes faint but the ridge line is easy to follow. It is possible to do a full day hike finishing in Silverthorne; this requires a vehicle shuttle .
Most of this trail travels above treeline; be aware of potential lightning danger during afternoon storms.
Restrictions <ul><li>Open to hiking and horseback riding <br /><br />This trail is in the <a href="https://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/whiteriver/recarea/?recid=81117">Ptarmigan Peak Wilderness Area.</a></li></ul>
The lines are the US Forest Service's National Forest System trails layer (public domain), read 2026-10-16 and simplified for the map; the length is the line's, end to end, and the class, surface, grade and tread width are the forest's own entries where it publishes them - a forest that publishes the centreline alone has none. The trailheads and the points along the way are the Service's recreation points, and the write-ups its own recarea text, unedited. Heights come from USGS 3DEP through Terrain Tiles on AWS (Mapzen/Tilezen), read along each line and rounded; a short trail on steep ground can be off by a few tens of feet. Closures change: check the forest's own site before you go.
