Crags Trail to Pikes Peak Summit

Pikes Peak inspired Katherine Lee Bates to write 'America the Beautiful,' and a single glance from its 14,115-foot summit tells you exactly why. The Crags Trail offers the most natural, least crowded way to summit Pikes Peak on foot — avoiding the popular Barr Trail from Manitou Springs while delivering equally spectacular scenery from a completely different perspective.

Starting from The Crags Campground at 10,900 feet, the trail climbs through dramatic tundra and boulder fields, past the distinctive rocky outcroppings that give the campground its name, before tackling the final exposed ridge to the summit. The approach is wilder and less maintained than Barr Trail, giving it a more adventurous feel. You'll share the summit with Cog Railway visitors and car tourists — a jarring but somehow charming contrast to the wilderness you've just crossed.

The summit house has restrooms, a café (try the famous summit donuts), and stunning observation decks. The 360-degree views on a clear day encompass the entire Front Range, the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, and on the clearest days, the skyline of Denver some 80 miles away.