Colorado Trail Segment 7 Hike Trail Guide

Colorado Trail Segment 7 is by far the most beautiful of the first 7 segments of the CT hike and gives hikers their first taste of hiking above the treeline for a number of miles. Segment 7 starts at Gold Hill and usually has a lot of foot and bike traffic for the first several miles as this is a popular day use area. Segment 7 tops out at nearly 12,500ft in elevation bringing Colorado Trail hikers to their highest point of the trail to this point. Ending at Copper Mountain, this segment is a great day hike and a memorable section of the Colorado Trail.

Colorado Trail Segment 7 Quick Facts

Virtual Trail Guide: Colorado Trail Segment 7

Colorado Trail Segment 7 Rating: ★★★★★ (5/5 Stars)

Distance: 13.2 Miles One Way

Elevation Start: 9,197ft 

Highest Point: 12,495ft 

Total Elevation Gain: 3,674ft 

Estimated Time to Complete: 6-7 Hours 

Difficulty: Moderate Difficulty System Explained

Class: Class 1 What does this mean?

Season: Late June- Early November (Expect snow outside of this period)

Weather: Check the Weather Forecast

Directions to Colorado Trail Segment 7

Trailhead: Gold Hill & Copper Mountain 

Getting Here: StartTrailhead (Gold Hill): From either Breckenridge or Frisco, take Colorado Highway 9 to reach Goldhill trailhead right off the road. It’s about 5 miles from both Breckenridge and Frisco. \

End Trailhead (Copper Far East Lot): From I70, take exit 195 for Copper Mountain. Leave the exit and continue straight at the traffic light. Continue on Colorado Highway 91 for about a half mile until you reach the Far East Parking Lot on your left. As of 2020, there is a ton of construction going on here, but you can use this lot for day use parking. After entering the parking lot, bear right to find the Colorado Trail and National Forest parking area. 

Fees: There is no fee to hike segment 7 of the Colorado Trail. 

Parking: Gold Hill is a bit more limited as it’s a heavy day use area, but typically parking will be fairly easy to find here as well. The Far East lot for Copper is a bit tricky to find but if you use the directions above you will find a small parking area that can fit 10-15 cars. This lot does prohibit overnight parking according to signage. There are no restrooms at Gold Hill and the Far East lot does have them but they were locked when we hiked this segment. 

Summary

Camping: Colorado Trail Segment 7 offers a handful of great camping spots with the best camping around 6 miles into the segment and after summiting the shoulder in between Peaks 6 and 5. In general, I would advise hiking for at least a few miles to camp so that you are not near Gold Hill. Since this segment is short, camping spots will not be awesome like segment 6 had. 

Dogs: Colorado Trail segment 7 is dog friendly hike, but be sure to pack lots of water for your pup as the miles do get hot and long, especially in the summer. As always, please keep your dog on a leash whenever possible during this hike since it can be heavily trafficked with day use hiking and biking. 

Access to Water: In general, Colorado Trail segment 7 has fairly common water sources but there is a stretch between miles 5.2 and 11 that are very dry. As you end the segment, you will find Tenmile Creek to be a fantastic source of water just before crossing Highway 91 to start segment 8. 

Make it a Loop: Colorado Trail Segment 7 is a one way hike with the option to make it an out and back. 

Trail X Factors: Elevation & Elevation Gain

Through the first 6 segments of the Colorado Trail, you have done very minimal hiking above treeline. This segment changes that in a big way. After mile 7 or so, you will find yourself above treeline for about 3.5 miles. Along the way, you will also climb to your highest point on the trail to date hiking just shy of 12,500ft in between Peak 6 and Peak 5. For anyone used to hiking in Colorado, the elevation is slow and steady but if your lungs are not accustomed to high elevations, you may be in for a rough time until they adjust. 

Mick’s Tips: If you plan on parking your car overnight at the Far East Lot, be aware that overnight parking here is prohibited and it’s best to find alternative arrangements for your vehicle so that its still there when you get back. It would really suck to have your car towed. In addition to parking, be sure to check the weather on this segment as much of the hiking is above treeline with no shelter from any incoming storms. 

Best Views: Almost this entire segment offers beautiful views of the Tenmile Range, spanning fields full of wildflowers, flowing streams and numerous chances for wildlife spotting. This hike was without a doubt our favorite of the first 7 segments with beauty to be found around every corner. My favorite views were working up to the ridge in between Peak 6 and Peak 5, especially with all of the colorful wildflowers. 

Colorado Trail Segment 7 Hike Route

Gear Needed

• Mickey’s Mountain Kit
• Backpack
• Hiking Shoes or Hiking Boots
• Map of area or GPS – I use the Garmin inReach
• Protection from the Sun
• Optional: Hiking Poles
• *Links included in this description might be affiliate links. If you purchase a product or service with the links that I provide I may receive a small commission. There is no additional charge to you. 

Our Trip to Colorado Trail Segment 7: July 2020

This segment of the Colorado Trail is relatively short at just over 13 miles so Jackie, Juno and I decided to tackle this hike during the week as a day hike. Like many of the segments of the Colorado Trail, my expectations were low. We started the first portion of the hike playing a fun game of yo-yo with other hikers. For the love of god, please give other hikers plenty of space when hiking. There is nothing worse than back and forth  with another group. After a while, we finally shook this other group of hikers and entered the large climb that composes segment 7. The beauty was everywhere. Colorful wildflowers flowing in the breeze, water rushing down in streams from the winter’s snow-melt and stunning aerial views of the Ten Mile Range. This segment was short but is one that neither Jackie or I will forget for a long time, it was downright stunning. 

You can watch the virtual trail guide of Colorado Trail Segment 7 below and check out some pictures from our hike.  

Colorado Trail Segment 7 Virtual Trail Guide

Questions or comments about our hike along Colorado Trail Segment 7? Leave a comment below or follow me on Instagram!