Colorado Trail Segment 8 Trail Guide

Colorado Trail Segment 8 is just shy of 25.5 miles with over 4,400ft of elevation gain. Colorado Trail segment 8 starts at a ski resort (Copper Mountain) and ends right across from another one (Ski Cooper). Segment 8 is beautiful with a good portion above treeline but also has A LOT of winding miles through thick forests and plentiful water sources. 

Colorado Trail Segment 8 Quick Facts

Virtual Trail Guide: Colorado Trail Segment 8

Colorado Trail Segment 7 Rating: ★★★★ (4/5 Stars)

Distance: 25.4 Miles One Way

Elevation Start: 9,820ft

Highest Point: 12,282ft

Total Elevation Gain: 4,417ft 

Estimated Time to Complete: 12-14 Hours One Way

Difficulty: Strenuous 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 8

Trailhead: Copper Mountain & Tennessee Pass 

Getting Here: Start 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 or by request through Copper overnight. After entering the parking lot, bear right to find the Colorado Trail and National Forest parking area. Follow the bike path until Highway 91, cross and start Segment 8. 

End Trailhead (Tennessee Pass): From the junction of Highway 91 and 24 just north of Leadville take highway 24 west. Continue for 8.5 miles to reach the signed Tennessee Pass trailhead on your left. The segment will end near the bathrooms.  

Fees: There is no fee to hike segment 8 of the Colorado Trail. 

Parking: 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 restrooms at both trailheads but the Far East does occasionally lock them.  Please note that as of 2020, parking at the Far East lot is not prohibited overnight unless you get permission from Copper Mountain first. 

Summary 

Camping: Colorado Trail Segment 8 offers a TON of great camping spots with the best camping around miles 13-17 into the segment. Note that between miles 17.1 and 20.1 camping is prohibited as the trail works through old army training grounds where unexploded munitions may still be in the ground. 

Dogs: Colorado Trail segment 8 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 segment hikers, through hikers and mountain bikers. 

Access to Water: In general, Colorado Trail segment 8 has fairly common water sources even later into the summer when seasonal water has dried up. 

Make it a Loop: Colorado Trail Segment 8 is an out and back hike. 

Trail X Factors: Camp Hale

The Colorado Trail passes through many beautiful parts of the state but Camp Hale is probably one of the most unique landmarks you hike by. Created in 1942, Camp Hale was a World War II training ground for over 16,000 troops. As you hike by notice the massive trenches from exploded weaponry, historic training grounds and check out the concrete bunkers as well. If you have the time and energy, you can walk through the old camp roads and read more about this unique training area.  

Hike Tip(s): If you are segment hiking Colorado Trail segment 8, be sure to plan your camping strategically. Although many other portions of the trail have spots where camping is bad, this is the first one that has 3 miles where it is prohibited. Since many hikers are aware of this, miles 14-17 are very popular for camping. Jackie and I learned this lesson the hard way but were lucky enough to get a beautiful spot attached to another group’s campsite. 

Best Views: Segment 8 has a lot of hiking through the woods but once you do leave treeline above Copper the views are outstanding until Kokomo Pass. After you descend back into the woods, you will pass Cataract Falls and the unique Camp Hale ruins.

Colorado Trail Segment 8 Hike Route

Gear Needed

• Osprey Atmos 65 Backpack
• Hiking Shoes
• OR Hiking Boots
• Garmin inReach
• Water Filter OR UV Pen
• Headlamp
• Optional: Tent
• Optional: Sleeping Pad
• Optional: Sleeping Bag
• Optional: Cook Kit
• Optional: Hiking Poles

Jackie’s Gear:

• Backpack
• Puffy Jacket
• Rain Jacket
• Shirt
• Pants
• Socks
• Sleeping Bag

Juno’s Gear

• Harness
• Bag
• Bowls

Colorado Trail Books:

• Full Version
• Pocket Guide
• *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 Segment 8: August 2020

Maybe it was the unseasonably hot temperatures, maybe it was the terrible air quality, maybe my legs were just tired. Whatever it was, Colorado Trail segment 8 started off awful for me. Jackie, Juno and I planned on stretching segment 8 into 2 days, but the way my lethargic body was feeling, it should have taken me 4. The trail started at Copper Mountain and slowly climbed across the resort and above the treeline.  Around 6 miles in, my body was dead. I needed a nap and took one on the side of the trail. After a quick 20 minutes, I felt rejuvenated and we continued hiking up towards Searle Pass and down towards Kokomo Pass. 

We made it about 17 miles in and camped near the top of Cataract Falls. The next day we hiked towards Camp Hale and ended the segment at Tennessee Pass. This was a long, hot and exhausting segment for all three of us but we were excited to get towards some of the most beautiful hiking on the Colorado Trail. 

Colorado Trail Segment 8  Virtual Trail Guide

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