Longs Peak Keyhole Route 14er Hike Trail Guide

Longs Peak via the Keyhole Route is a heavily trafficked hike in Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado. Longs Peak is the farthest north 14er (peak over 14,000 feet) in Colorado and the highest point within the National Park. Although it’s a popular hike, Longs Peak is the deadliest 14er in Colorado claiming 19 lives between 2000 and 2019 so be sure to be prepared when attempting a hike up Longs Peak via the Keyhole Route.

Longs Peak Keyhole Route Quick Facts

Virtual Trail Guide: Longs Peak via Keyhole Route

Longs Peak Hike Rating: ★★★★★ (5/5 Stars)

Distance: 14.5 Miles RT

Elevation Start: 9,250 ft

Highest Point: 14,259 ft

Total Elevation Gain: 5,250 ft

Estimated Time to Complete: 8 -10+ Hours RT

Difficulty: Difficult What does this mean?

Class: Class 3

Season: June – October (Expect snow outside of this period)

Check the Weather Forecast

Directions to Longs Peak Keyhole Route

Trailhead: Longs Peak 

Getting Here: 

From Estes Park: Take CO7 for 9 miles until you reach Longs Peak Road on your right. Continue on for 1 mile until you reach the TH. 

From Boulder/Points South: Take US36 for 40.9 miles until you reach Lyons and the junction with CO-7. Take a left here and continue on for 14.8 miles until you reach Longs Peak Road on your left. Continue for 1 mile until you reach the TH. 

Regardless of your direction, you can enter Longs Peak Trailhead into your favorite navigational device. 

Parking: The parking lot for Longs Peak via the Keyhole Route can fit about 30-40 cars, but will 100% fill up on weekends from July – early October. Expect to arrive to the trailhead by 2-3AM to have the best chance to secure a spot. On weekdays the lot is typically less hectic, but an early arrival time is still recommended. The parking area has several non-plumbing bathrooms. 

Fees: None

Reservations: As of 2022, although Rocky Mountain National Park requires a reservation, Longs Peak does not so long as you get to the trailhead before 9AM or after 3PM.

Summary

Camping: Camping near Longs Peak can be very tricky. You are not allowed to camp in the parking lot and there are really limited options for camping until you reach the Boulder Field just 2 miles from the summit. If you do camp in the boulder field, expect to haul your gear 5+ miles and sleep in a very windy/rocky environment. 

There are two seasonal campgrounds near the TH (Longs Peak and Meeker) but both get very busy and operate on a first come, first serve basis. 

Dogs: The hike to Longs Peak via the Keyhole route is not dog friendly since its it Rocky Mountain National Park.

Make it a Loop: The trail to Longs Peak via the Keyhole Route is an out and back hike. There are plenty of other options to hike along the way (Chasm Lake, Mt Lady Washington Peak, Storm Peak, etc. if you are looking to extend your hike. If you want to make the hike up Longs Peak a lollipop loop, you can alternatively ascend or descend via the Loft Route on Longs Peak.

Trail X Factors: When hiking Longs Peak via the Keyhole route, you will have two major x factors to deal with: wind and crowds. 

As previously mentioned, Longs Peak can get extremely crowded. While this may not affect your hiking experience for the first half of the hike, once you get near the keyhole crossover, lines may form and you may have to wait for other hikers in order to continue your hike. In addition because Longs Peak is so prominent, it’s winds can be very strong and hard to predict. Many hikers have turned around because of the winds on Longs Peak and they can often turn very dangerous. Be sure to check the forecast from multiple sources and frequently while planning your hike to Longs Peak via the Keyhole Route. 

Hike Tip(s): I have read many trip reports of people hiking up Longs Peak via the Keyhole route and turning around due to high winds near the keyhole itself. While there may be days when the winds are truly awful, my advice is to hike through the keyhole and away from it a bit before making a decision to turn around. The keyhole acts as a wind tunnel and even on days where the winds on the rest of the mountain are mellow will create strong gusts through that section of the mountain. 

Since Longs Peak is one the most heavily hiked 14ers in the state, it can get quite crowded. Due to a relatively small parking lot size and no overflow parking, getting to the trailhead early is mandatory during July – September. If you plan on visiting on a weekend, an arrival time of 2-3AM  or earlier is usually necessary. If you plan on hiking during the week or outside of these months, expect crowds still, but you can usually arrive to the TH much later (4AM or so) and have no issues with parking. The early arrival time is great for parking, but also necessary to ensure that you are off the mountain as early as you can to avoid battling storms which typically move in during the later half of the day. 

Best Views: In my opinion, the best views on Longs Peak via the Keyhole Route are once you get through the keyhole itself. Between the high alpine lake and beautiful peaks that surround Longs, you will not be let down. Before the keyhole, the views are okay, but I think in general, the best views are west. On a clear day, the summit does offer almost 360 degree views that are outstanding as well. Even though the summit is very flat, Longs offers some of my favorite views on the summit of a 14er in Colorado. 

Longs Peak Keyhole Hike Route

Gear Needed

• 14er Day Hike Packing List
• Men’s Trail Runners
• Women’s Trail Runners
• La Sportiva Trango Hiking Boots (Men’s)
• La Sportiva Trango Hiking Booths (Women’s)
• Backpack
• Food & Water
• Optional: Garmin inReach
• Optional: Hiking Poles
• Optional: Headlamp
• Optional: Garmin Fenix Watch
• Optional: Camera and Lens
• Optional: GoPro, Joby Tripod
• *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.

My Trip to Longs Peak via Keyhole Route: October 2019

This time I would not be turned around. This attempt would be different than my previous one up Longs Peak. After a ton of research, religiously refreshing the weather and a much better job packing, I arrived to the Longs Peak trailhead around 4AM in late September. There were a handful of other cars in the lot but I didn’t care what the other hikers’ plans were for the day, my goal was simple: Hike Longs Peak via the Keyhole route and finish my last 14er. 

Usually, when I get to a TH, I have to screw around with my gear, eat some breakfast and film for that day’s video. Today was different though. I was prepared, focused and ready to go the second I parked. I grabbed my bag out of the car, had a quick bathroom break, turned on my headlamp and hit the trail. Unlike my last attempt on Longs, I was solo this time which I saw fitting since the majority of my 14er journey (45 peaks) were hiked solo. I hiked the familiar trail under the dark morning sky and enjoyed the silence of nature. 

As I left treeline around 2 miles into the hike, I stopped to take some pictures of the stars before the sun rose. The moon was out but it was waning and provided minimal light to the night sky. It was a crisp fall morning with light winds, but nothing like the previous trip. After the photo session, I continued hiking and reached the trail split at 3.25 miles about 25 minutes later. I continued on towards the boulder field of Longs Peak and was officially in new territory. As I worked up towards Granite Pass the sun was starting to rise behind me and it was so colorful. This sunrise was easily one of the best I had experienced on a hike and I took it is a positive sign of the day to come. 

After filming a bit, I continued walking up towards the boulder field the first major section of Longs Peak via the Keyhole route. The trail had steady elevation and was very easy to follow about as well maintained of a hike you would find in the state of Colorado. When I reached the boulder field I stopped to check out the camping areas and the privy. The privy was surprisingly well constructed and offered fantastic views of the diamond and Longs Peak. The campsites on the other hand were very bleak. Small rocky dirt patches with 3 foot wind protection walls built around them. I would not want to camp up there. I continued on past the campsites and the trail became harder to follow until it faded out entirely. The boulder field sat right below the famous keyhole of Longs Peak and had a ton of cairns to follow. Although route finding was not an issue, loose rock was. There seemed to be no consistency from small rocks to huge boulders on what was stable and what was loose. I slowed my pace a bit trying to avoid a broken ankle.

As I approached the keyhole I encountered my first group of hikers of the day. They were just starting their hike towards the other side of Longs Peak so I decided to give them space. I stopped in the weather shelter and enjoyed some snacks before the technical portion of Longs Peak via the Keyhole route began. From here I had three major sections to go: the ledges, the trough and the narrows. Each presented its own unique challenges, but hiking in all of them did not exceed class 3. I had studied the route a ton beforehand and knew what to expect in each section but was still anxious to keep moving. I packed up my bag and headed up to the windy keyhole. 

Winds were gusting inside the keyhole but remained pretty mellow once I continued toward the ledges. The shade on this side of Longs Peak kept temperatures cool but the sun was shining and the day was shaping up to be a beautiful one. As I kept hiking I noticed the bright yellow and red trail markers that are present along Longs Peak via the Keyhole route. This route is so popular that park rangers placed these trail markers shaped like the letter C along the trail to aid hikers and prevent injuries/deaths from getting off route. Personally, I felt that they were a bit of an eyesore and very much an overkill. The trail along the ledges was very well traveled (rocks were slippery from high traffic) but did not have a lot of exposure and hiking never exceeded class 2. 

As I reached the end of the ledges, the trail started left up the second section of Longs Peak via the Keyhole route: the trough. The trough contained a lot more loose rock and dirt and trail finding had many more options. I decided to stick to the right and tried to hike as much class 3 terrain as I could to avoid the poor trail conditions. Towards the top of the trough I encountered yet another group of hikers and decided to take a break to give them more space. I really wanted my hike up Longs Peak to be a solo adventure and wanted to avoid talking with humans as much as possible. After a quick snack and some water, I started hiking again and tackled the last move before the narrows. This move was a legit class 3 maybe even class 4 move that was well worn out.  

Before I started the narrows, I stopped to switch up some cameras and soaked in the view. I was expecting the winds to blast me in the face once I left the trough but once again they were very minimal. I was thrilled! I started across the narrows which had a few semi exposed moves but otherwise was just hiking along fairly narrow terrain. Trail finding was not even a thought in my head because of the bright red and yellow C’s seemingly every 10 feet. If the trail markers were equipped with braille, I am sure someone blind could find their way along this route. I reached the end of the narrows after passing a few more hikers who informed me that the summit was beautiful. 

I climbed a small section of class 3 before rounding the corner and the final section of hiking before the summit of Longs Peak via the Keyhole route sat right in front of me. All that separated me from the summit of Longs Peak, my 14er finisher, was a few hundred vertical feet of class 3 hiking. I think I was actually going to do it! I continued up the class 3 slabs that sit just beneath the summit of Longs Peak’s summit. I was so excited and the moment that I stepped on the summit of Longs Peak felt surreal. I wanted to scream in celebration but another group of 4 hikers were on the summit so I decided to play it cool. 

I cracked my summit club beer from Outer Range and soaked in the beautiful weather and clear views in all directions. I have a horrible issue of not enjoying an accomplishment and just looking to the next challenger, but on the summit of my 14er finisher, I really tried to be present in the moment. Compared to my last attempt the weather was 100x better and I honestly could have spent hours up on the summit, it was just that beautiful out. I texted Jackie to inform her of my accomplishment, snapped several pictures, snacked and took lots of video. I probably spent about 30 minutes on the summit, which is about ten times more than I usually do before finally starting the hike back down towards the TH. 

The hike down Longs Peak via the Keyhole route was fairly uneventful but I will say the trough section of the trail was much more precarious on the way down vs the way up. I have a feeling that trail improvement will be needed in this area of the mountain in the next couple of years. Once I got back through the keyhole, I stopped to shoot some more video and started to reflect on the accomplishment I had just achieved. 

Sure, thousands of other hikers have completed the 14ers, but I was so proud in the way that I had done them. Hiking all 58 in less than 4 years, completing so many by myself and conquering all 4 great 14er traverses along the way. I continued hiking back towards the car and my legs were feeling so good that I jogged most of the trail from the boulder fields back to the trailhead. I arrived to the car feeling accomplished, strong and ready to tackle my next challenge in the mountains. 

Overall the hike up Longs Peak via the Keyhole route was very fun and I felt lucky to share the mountain with only a few other hikers and was blessed with fantastic weather from mother nature. I would not recommend Longs Peak for inexperienced hikers, but for the hiker with enough experience and preparation, Longs Peak via the Keyhole route is a fantastic way to spend a day in the mountains. 

Questions or comments about the hike to Longs Peak via Keyhole Route? Leave a comment below or follow me on Instagram! 

Longs Peak Keyhole Route Virtual Trail Guide