Hike Red Peak via Gore Range Trail White River National Forest, CO

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Austin and I started out from the popular Buffalo Mountain Trailhead, which fills up quickly. The trail starts through a small burned area before entering the trees, crosses a junction (keep straight, left leads to Buffalo Mountain, and right circles back as a loop), and descends a few hundred feet. The trail then continues through some marshes with makeshift bridges and required a teeny bit of thinking to stay on the trail before it reaches a junction with the Gore Range Trail. We followed this trail west, paralleling South Willow Creek. After a few miles of alternating between forest and meadows with nice views back toward Buffalo Mountain, the trail curved south. Approximately here is where the "standard" route for Red Peak begins, leaving the trail and continuing steeply up a slope. We agreed that we would try to descend this way later, instead opting to take a longer route to check out a small unnamed lake. Ultimately, we thought the standard route was far less good than the rout we took. I'll describe both anyway.

We continued along the Gore Range Trail to the unnamed lake I mentioned, enjoying the wildflowers and view toward Red Peak before we picked up the Gore Creek Trail (which isn't marked with a sign, by the way), which headed north, away from the unnamed lake, and took us up to the saddle south of Red Peak. From here, we continued along the ridge, mostly enjoying the steep grassy ridge with some easy Class 2. A talus field toward the top made for some slower-moving to prevent knocking bouders onto each other. The top of this talus field was a false summit of Red Peak. We traversed the ridge on Class 2+ over to the true summit.

From Red Peak, we decided to attempt the standard route, dropping to the saddle between Red Peak and its false southern sub-peak. The route descends steeply on dirt and minor scree into a flat meadowy section. We curved right to avoid cliffs and entered a Class 2 bouldery basin. There are lots of options to descend from, and our route worked fine. Overall it's a decent route, but the ridge had really nice views and less tedious Class 2 than this standard option. We weaved around boulders and minor cliffs and on grassy slopes until we entered some trees and descended back to the Gore Range Trail.

PEAKS ON HIKE
Elevation (ft) / Prominence (ft)

Peaks on hike

Elevation

Prominence

Red Peak

13189 ft

869 rise

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After leaving the trailhead, a short section of burned forest. Buffalo Mountain visible top left.

A junction, keep straight.

The trail descends for a few hundred feet.

Descending down to the junction with the Gore Range Trail.

A section of swampiness that uses makeshift bridges. We got turned around a couple of times here because of multiple social trails, but just follow the bridges.

Junction with the Gore Range Trail.

Along the Gore Range Trail, Buffalo Mountian visible top left.

The Gore Range Trail continues through meadows and forest.

Looking back as we head through a meadow.

To the right of the sub-peak in the center is Red Buffalo Pass, a landmark for our route.

Looking back toward Buffalo Mountain.

The Gore Range Trail begins heading south, away from Red Peak.

Looking back toward Red Peak as we continue to an unnamed lake.

Continuing to the unnamed lake. The sub-peak ahead is what I mentioned in a previous photo. Red Buffalo Pass is out of frame on the right.

Looking back through the meadow, Red Peak top left, the valley the Gore Range Trail ascended on the right. Buffalo Mountain out of frame far right.

At the small unnamed lake. We left the Gore Range Trail and headed along the unlabeled Gore Creek Trail, which continued to Red Buffalo Pass (top left).

Along the Gore Creek Trail. Red Peak center.

Approaching Red Buffalo Pass, Buffalo Mountain top left and the unnamed lake out of sight center right.

From Red Buffalo Pass, heading north along the ridge to Red Peak.

Looking back toward Red Buffalo Pass, Deming Peak in the distance.

Grassy slope as we head up Red Peak.

Another shot looking back. You can see the unnamed lake we came from in the center.

Minor Class 2 as we ascend. The false summit of Red Peak is visible ahead.

More Class 2 as we ascend, avoiding some of the steepest talus.

View looking back.

Approaching the unavoidable Class 2 talus below Red Peak's false summit.

Scrambling up the talus, unnamed lake visible above Austin's head.

Approaching the false summit of Red Peak.

Continuing on Class 2/2+ along the ridge from the false summit to the saddle with Red Peak's true summie.

Looking back along the short Class 2+ ridge.

Final Class 2 push to Red Peak.

Red Peak summit, view northwest toward Mount Silverthorne.

Red Peak view east toward Dillon and Dillon Reservoir.

Back at the saddle of Red Peak and its false summit, we decided to head down the "standard" route up Red Peak to see what it was like. It started off quite steep and dirty. The route heads toward the grassy slope on the left, then curves to the right and descends on Class 2 grassy slopes/talus.

Looking back up at Red Peak.

Continuing down through a talus-filled basin. It was pretty, but felt pretty inefficient, and was certainly less fun than our ascent route.

View back toward the slope we descended (center). You can see our ascent ridge up top.

Continuing down through talus/grasses. Red Buffalo Pass is visible right of center.

The route continues into the trees and eventually joins back up with the Gore Range Trail.

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Hire/refer me as a web developer or send me a few bucks if you find my site useful. I’m not sponsored, so all fees are out-of-pocket and my time preparing trip reports is unpaid. I really appreciate it!