Hiking the Continental Divide to Mt. Ida Trail in The Rocky Mountain National Park- One of my favorite hikes in the Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado was the hike to Mount Ida along the Continental Divide. This hike is rated difficult due to weather conditions and route finding, but is actually a very pleasant hike on the right day. Mt. Ida sits at 12,889 feet in elevation and offers a 360 degree panoramic view over the RMNP. Read here on where to park, when to go, how hard it is, where to stay and much more when completing the hike to Mt. Ida.
Stats
Length: 9.5 Miles
Time: 4.5-7 hours
Difficulty: Difficult to Strenuous
Trailhead Elevation: 10,759 Feet
Highest Elevation: 12,889 Feet
Total Elevation Gain: 2465 Feet
Trailhead: Poudre Lake/Milner Pass
Overview
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When To Go
We went in mid July and some parts of this trail had minor snow coverings at the top. Easy and short to go around. But unless prepared with proper gear, plan for summer. There is a small uphill climb through boulders on this route which I could see getting very slippery and dangerous if there is ice. Since this trail has very little shade it does get hot in the summer months. Make sure you bring sunscreen, a hat and a lightweight long sleeve to protect you from the sun.
Trail Ridge Road does close in the winter months.
Where To Stay
Estes Park and Grand Lake are the two areas that you want to stay in if visiting the Rocky Mountain National Park. You will be slightly closer to Grand Lake, 35 minutes. Estes Park is 60 minutes away. But Estes Park does have a lot more amenities in the small town. Check out my post on the Best AirBnBs in Estes and Grand Lake for the best cabins and rentals near the Rocky Mountain National Park.
How Hard Is The Hike?
This hike is rated difficult for a few different reasons. It is a lengthy hike, but with an early start it is very possible to complete, even with lots of breaks within the route. The hardest part of the trail is towards the end. You will need skills to find the route as it is not clearly marked towards the end. And also be prepared for some off-trail trekking at the end.
This is also a high elevation hike. If you are not used to high elevation make sure to acclimate. This means spend a few days on smaller hikes or simply stay in the area to acclimate. We did this hike our third day in Colorado (from Ohio) and I did struggle with the altitude. It definitely made me more tired, leading to more breaks in the trail. Still doable but listen to your body and be prepared to turn around.
Parking
This trail officially starts off of Trail Ridge Road, located about 1 hour from the Este Park Visitor Center entrance and about 30 minutes from from the Kawuneeche Visitor Center entrance. This park lot is VERY small, only about 20 cars can park here. If you cannot get to this lot before 8:00am during the peak season you might need to wait.
Many make a quick stop here as it is the Continental Divide, and also to see Lake Poudre. Some take pictures then quickly then leave, so if you don’t see a spot wait around and some should open up quickly.
You can also start this hike from the Lake Irene Picnic Area parking lot if needed. This will add about 1 mile around trip on to your hike.
We went during COVID-19 restrictions, meaning we had to use the Rocky Mountain National Park reservation system. They were operating at 60% capacity with online ticket reservations only. We had a 6-8:00am reservation.
The Route
The Start
After getting situated, start this hike at the Poudre Lake Trailhead, it is also the starting area for Milner Pass. At the beginning of the trail a lot of people use this trail to get to the Forest Canyon Overlook.
Poudre Lake Trailhead
You will first pass around the Poudre Lake and start a slow climb up through the woods. It is a decent gradual climb up so it wasn’t too difficult. You will hike to a few switchbacks before coming to a split in the trail.
At the split make sure you turn right to Mt. Ida, left will be towards the Forest Canyon Pass. The hike through the lush forest is about 1 mile.
After about a mile in the woods will start to clear and you will get sweeping views of the Never Summer mountains from across the road. .
Eventually you will start to see the ridge line trail. This will be your last overhead covering for the entire trail. Many people stop at this stop (about 2.5 miles in) for this overlook of the mountain top views and tundra.
The Ridge Line
Since the rest of this trail is along the ridge it is a very easy hike from here on out, but be careful as there are no trees or coverings, it gets very windy and the sun may beat down on you.
From here the trail will be all along the ridge, it is very easy to find. You might see some wildlife, we saw marmots, horned sheep and deer along this route.
A lot of soft down hills and up hills along this trail make a pleasant hike.
There are a few areas that make a good spot for a break, or snack. As you climb higher the trail becomes closer to the ridge at some points. So we enjoyed going to the side and overlooking the basin. You can see small lakes, snow and sweeping valleys.
The Boulders
The last mile to the summit of Mt. Ida becomes somewhat rugged of terrain. It requires off-trail trekking through the boulders, as well as some route finding when we were there. Look for the marked rocks.
Mt. Ida’s Peak
Before you know it you will be at the peak of Mt. Ida. I loved these 360 degree views of the Rocky Mountains. On a clear day you can see Grand Lake. And if you look down to the left you will see the Azure and Inkwell Lakes.
We ate lunch up here but the wind started to pick up. We started to head back down the mountain before we could possibly get stuck in a rainstorm.
The hike back went fairly fast as it was a slow down hill. I think I liked the views better on the way back than in. I loved seeing the trail wind through the mountain ridges and the snowy mountain peaks out into the distance.
Tips For The Hike
Watch the Weather
If near the summit and caught in an approaching storm, it will take a couple of hours to get below the tree line and out of immediate danger from lightning. With high alpine hiking you do need to watch for the weather. It can be very dangerous to get stuck in a lightning storm at high elevation with minimal coverage. Check the weather and go early. Many storms happen in the afternoon. When we went a storm was rolling in at the end of our hike around noon.
Leave No Trace
Follow the Leave No Trace guidelines and tips to keep these beautiful places open to the public and beautiful.
Go Early
To always avoid the crowds and heat. Stay close for this hike and get an early start in the morning. I believe we started around 7:30 am and had the trail to ourselves. Starting early can also help you possibly avoid an afternoon thunderstorm on the ridge.
What To Bring
Gator: With no shade on the ridge make sure you bring a hat a gator for the sun. It felt super bright in July, and we stopped to apply sunscreen a few times. You will want something to protect you from the hot sun.
Layers: Because it can get so windy along the ridge make sure you are prepared for all types of weather. We had great weather but I have heard of hikers experiencing snow on this trail in July.
Water: we each filled 2 liter water bladders and this 1 liter collapsible water bottle for our day hike.
Electrolytes: to help with dehydration and altitude sickness I like to use a hydration tablet (I love the Nuuns as they are easy to pack) at least once a day. So I stuck one in my water bottle for this hike.
Snacks: we like jerky sticks, a peanut butter sandwich, granola bars, and trailmix to bring on our hikes.
Hiking Poles: I like my travel hiking poles for long all day hikes, definitely helps the knees.
Sturdy Hiking Shoes: I wore my Vasques Hiking Shoes.
DayPack: My favorite lightweight summer daypack is the Osprey Daylite Daypack. Perfect size for all that you need.
Hat/sunglasses: not much shade at the top of the trail.
Sunscreen
Other Hikes In The Area That You Might Like
Sky Pond– a hike close to the Estes side of the park. This hike will take you to 3 stunning alpine lakes.
Bear Lake Loop– a popular hike in the Estes side of the park. You will see multiple lakes on this short but populated looped trail.
Ute Trail– a short 4 mile trail that takes you to outstanding views of the park.
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