Hike Mount Gunnison Gunnison National Forest, CO

Jul 12, 2026 — After driving straight from Las Vegas, I was tired of driving so Mount Gunnison became the first objective of my trip. Being separated from Colorado’s more expansive mountain clusters and not quite reaching even 13,000 feet, I was attracted to it because of its prominence and its location in a part of the state I hadn’t hiked before. The road to the trailhead was mostly graded, except for a few ruts, so I’d recommend at least some clearance. The last mile skirting around Beaver Reservoir was overgrown and slower-going, but my crossover SUV handled it just fine.

Rampant hoof prints suggest the Curecanti Trail (#870) sees far more cow traffic than human traffic. The hike followed a creek for a short time before ascending to an easy-to-miss junction just before a small meadow. I took a left at this junction onto the Hoodoo Gap Trail (#877). While a bit narrower and less traveled, it was still easy to follow as it ascended through the forest for a couple of miles before briefly meeting up with Hoodoo Creek. I followed its drainage until emerging into a meadow at the base of Mount Gunnison, where the trail seemed to completely disappear.

I made my way cross-country through wildflowers up to a wide drainage on the southwest side of the peak. A short stretch of forest led up to a swath of talus. I peered up directly at the south ridge (my original ascent plan), realizing that the peak was only a mile away but still required 2,400 vertical feet of climbing. I opted to follow the drainage instead to keep the grade slightly more enjoyable as it curved up toward Mount Gunnison’s west ridge. I chose to stay out of the drainage proper since it was rocky, instead hiking on the mostly stable talus. Above the initial steeper section of talus, the gully floor became passable, so I headed in and followed the grassy terrain. I curved right and up a steep gully to the ridgeline, then gained a slope that led steeply to the summit. Along the way was a short section of Class 2 talus. From this prominent peak, I could see the Gold Mountain Fire still alight near Ouray, the Elk Range in the distance, and beyond.

To satisfy my curiosity, I decided to descend via the route I’d avoided on the way up. The descent began much more pleasantly, with a tame grassy slope leading down to a minor saddle on the south side of Mount Gunnison. From here, a very steep, grassy slope took me back down to the talus below. An eroded trail of some sort completed the descent back into the wide drainage I had hiked up earlier. Both routes were steep, and I’m not sure which one I ultimately preferred.