Colorado, Colorado Hikes

Colorado Day Hikes: Hell’s Hole

Diana

When Pat told his brother we were planning to hike to Hell’s Hole, he immediately asked if this meant we would be spending the day exploring the devil’s butt crack.

(Spoiler alert: we would not.)

Your guess is as good as mine for where the name Hell’s Hole came from. I tried to research it but came up empty. But I can tell you one thing: this hike does not live up to its name. There’s nothing hellish about it. It’s not hot. It’s not fiery. Nothing about this hike was torturous. It’s not even really that much of a hole. It’s a glacial cirque. And the scenery is beautiful.

The Hell’s Hole Trail begins at the end of West Chicago Creek Road, about 8 miles (12.9 km) southwest of the town of Idaho Springs. It’s a dirt road but reasonably well-maintained and we had no trouble navigating it in our Forester. There is parking for maybe 40 cars and there’s a bathroom at the trailhead. For those not looking to hike, there’s also a picnic area here.

The trail is fairly straightforward as it climbs past the picnic area and begins to gain elevation through a grove of aspens. Once reaching the broad ridge line, the trail approximately remains on top of it and continues in a relatively straight line through a pine forest, eventually approaching tree line at about 11,500 feet (3505 m). There are a few very gnarly, twisted trees here – I think they’re bristlecone pines.

And we’ve reached Hell’s Hole. That’s it. That’s the end of the trail. There is a small pond surrounded by willows, some flowers and other small alpine plants, and a few choice spots to have a snack and enjoy the view.

Hell’s Hole

In summary: a gradual forested hike to a subalpine glacial cirque.

The Important Stuff

  • Getting there: Hell’s Hole trail begins at the end of West Chicago Creek Road, 8 miles (12.9 km) southwest of Idaho Springs, Colorado
  • Fees and passes: none, but overnight stays in the Mount Evans wilderness require self-registration for a free permit (this can be done at the trailhead)
  • Hiking: 9.3 miles (15 km) round trip with 1916 feet (584 m) elevation gain
  • Where to stay: if you’re looking to make this an overnight trip, there is a campground just prior to the trailhead or you can backpack in and camp anywhere along the trail (providing wilderness regulations are adhered to)
  • Other: while not as popular as other hikes close to Denver, the parking lot was overflowing by about 11am

Published by Diana

Hiking, road-tripping, and handstanding my way around the US (currently) and the world (hopefully in the not-so-distant post-COVID future… if such a thing exists)

18 thoughts on “Colorado Day Hikes: Hell’s Hole”

  3. Haha, that is a curious name indeed. In fact I see quite the opposite with the lovely scenery, brilliant blue sky and not even an awful elevation gain. I wonder if there was something wrong with the water in the cirque once upon a time?

    Liked by 1 person

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  6. I love that area of Colorado and always wanted to hike near Chicago lakes but never had the time and when we did the thunderstorms would roll in. Beautiful photos of a beautiful area!

    Liked by 1 person

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  10. Love the humor at the start of the post! Hell’s Hole looks far from looking like hell, and looks like you had good weather on the day your hiked. Great to discover another, lesser-known trail in Colorado!

    Liked by 1 person

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