Trail of the Week: Four Pass Loop, Colorado
The internationally known trail can be a challenging one-day trail run.
Our Trail of the Week feature is made possible through a partnership with Trail Run Project.
A true treasure in Colorado, the Four Pass Loop near Aspen gets its name for obvious reasons: the route takes you up and over four incredible mountain passes exceeding 12,000 feet around the Maroon Bells Wilderness. People do this as a 4-day backpack, but advanced runners often knock out the 27-mile loop in one day. It is an often-photographed route due to its stunning mountain views, crystal-clear lakes and scenic alpine wilderness surrounding the trail.
Though you don’t summit any of Colorado’s famous 14ers (mountain peaks exceeding 14,000 feet above sea level), you get an up-close look at four of them—North Maroon Peak (14,014), Pyramid Peak (14,018), Snowmass Mountain (14,092) and Maroon Peak (14,156).
Says one Trail Run Project commenter, “There is a reason this is a world renowned trail. It is absolutely spectacular, even for Colorado.”
RELATED: Trail of the Week: Green Mountain, Boulder, Colorado
The Data
Miles: 27.1
Runnable: 74 percent
Singletrack: 100 percent
Average Grade: 11 percent
Max Grade: 55 percent
Total Ascent: 7,734
Total Descent: -7,734
Highest Elevation: 12,460 feet
For a closer look, check out the interactive map, data, photos and virtual run simulator courtesy of Trail Run Project: