Longs Peak Mountain

Address: Longs Peak, Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado, USA (trailheads accessed from the park)

Website: https://www.nps.gov/romo/index.htm

Admission: Rocky Mountain National Park entrance fee applies (e.g. standard vehicle fee; check park site for current rates). Wilderness permits required for overnight climbs.

Longs Peak is a prominent fourteener in Colorado and the highest point in Rocky Mountain National Park, with a summit elevation of 14,259 feet (4,346 meters). It is a major objective for hikers and climbers in the region.

Scramblers and climbers come for the classic Keyhole route, a long non-technical but exposed ascent typically done in a single long day. Technical climbers are drawn to the East Face, the Diamond, which offers sustained rock-climbing routes.

The peak has been known to Euro-American explorers and mountaineers since the 19th century and has long been a landmark in the northern Colorado Rockies. It is managed as part of Rocky Mountain National Park and subject to backcountry regulations.

Longs Peak sits in the northern Front Range of the Rocky Mountains in Colorado, within Rocky Mountain National Park near the town of Estes Park. Access is via park trailheads and backcountry routes.

• Elevation: Summit elevation 14,259 feet (4,346 meters).
• Routes and difficulty: The Keyhole route is the standard non-technical scramble; other faces include technical climbing routes requiring mountaineering skills and equipment.

What to See#

• Keyhole route: The standard ascent route that approaches the summit via a defined scramble path known as the Keyhole, commonly used by hikers in summer months.
• The Diamond (East Face): A large, steep rock face on the east side of the mountain known as the Diamond, noted for multi-pitch technical rock climbing.

Longs Peak is approached from the east via Estes Park. From Denver drive north on I‑25 then west on US‑36 into Estes Park (roughly 70-75 miles / about 1.5-2 hours depending on traffic). From Estes Park follow the access roads into Rocky Mountain National Park to the Longs Peak/Keyhole trailhead where parking and the trail start. The standard Keyhole Route to the summit is a long, alpine day climb of roughly 14-15 miles round trip with substantial elevation gain, so plan for a very early start and prepared parking at the trailhead.

• Start very early (often around midnight to 2 a.m.) to reach the summit and be back below the treeline well before typical summer afternoon thunderstorms - afternoon storms are frequent and dangerous on Longs Peak.
• The standard non-technical route is the Keyhole Route; if you plan that line, study the route and timing carefully and only attempt it in stable, dry conditions - it's long and exposed despite being the 'normal' route.
• Avoid peak-day crowds by beginning your climb well before dawn; even on busy summer weekends an ultra-early start spreads parties out on the approach and the Keyhole section.