Mt Massive Southwest Slopes Virtual Trail Guide

Mt Massive Southwest Slopes 14er Trail Guide

July 7, 2020 The Virtual Sherpa Comments 1 comment

Mt Massive via the Southwest slopes is an alternative route up the second highest mountain in Colorado. At 14,429ft., this 14er has several routes up to the summit but the southwest slopes is the shortest route and in my opinion, the most beautiful. Hiking consists of class 2 hiking and is recommended for hikers with experience in loose trail conditions at high elevation.

Mt Massive Southwest Slopes Quick Facts

Hike Rating: Mt Massive Southwest Slopes ★★★★ (⅘ Stars)

Virtual Trail Guide: Mt Massive Southwest Slopes

Distance: 7.25 Miles (Upper TH)

Elevation Start: 10,500ft

Highest Point: 14,429ft

Total Elevation Gain: 3,950ft

Estimated Time to Complete: 6-8 Hours RT

Difficulty: Moderate Difficulty System Explained

Class: Class 2 What does this mean?

Season: Mid June- November (expect snow outside of this period)

Weather: Check the Weather Forecast

Directions to Mt Massive Southwest Slopes

Trailhead: North Halfmoon Creek

Getting Here: From US24 just outside of Leadville, take CO300 for .8 miles and then turn left on Halfmoon Road. Continue for 1.3 miles and then take a right to stay on Halfmoon Road. Continue for 8 miles to reach the upper TH. The road turns to dirt very quickly and can get rough in sections but is driveable for most passenger cars to about .4 miles from the upper TH. After this point, you will need a higher clearance 4×4 to get over 2 small rock sections (shown in virtual trail guide). The signed trailhead is on your right and the trail starts shortly after that.

You can enter in North Halfmoon Creek into your GPS:

Fees: There is no fee to hike Mt Massive via the Southwest Slopes.

Parking: If you are able to get to the upper TH, parking space will not be an issue. However, if you can’t, parking could be a problem. About .4 miles from the TH there are spots for about 2-3 cars to park on the side of the road and before that, several other scattered camping spots/pulloffs to park. When parking on the side of the road, please do so responsibly knowing that parking in turn around spots takes away the opportunity for passenger cars to do so. In most cases, you will have to add about a mile of hiking (roundtrip) if you are not able to get to the upper TH. Once you drive past the Mt Elbert parking lot, there are no restrooms along the road.

Summary

Camping: Mt Massive has a ton of spots to camp including near the TH and along Halfmoon Road to the TH. Dispersed camping is most common, but there are a few campgrounds as well.

Dogs: This hike is dog friendly for the most part. However, the class 2 scrambling can get rough on some dog’s pads. If there is lingering snow on Mt Massive Southwest slopes, leave the dog at home.

Make it a Loop: This is an out and back hike, but if you want to descend a different route, you could theoretically do that with multiple vehicles. The most common way to do this would be hiking up/down the southwest slopes and then down/up the East Slopes.

Trail X Factors: Hike Starting Point & Snowfields

When hiking up Mt Massive southwest slopes, the biggest x factor are the starting points and lingering snow fields. If you are able to get to the upper TH, you save yourself at least a mile of hiking which is fantastic. Depending on your vehicle, the crowds and your comfort driving on rough roads, you may have to tack on much more mileage for this hike.

This write-up is assuming a hike in “summer conditions” but as we all know, snow in Colorado sticks around far into the summer. When I hiked this route, I made the silly mistake of going off trail and remaining on the snow fields instead of crossing them to rejoin the dry trail. I feel this could be an easy mistake for others to make because the summer trail is a bit hidden from where you approach. I talk about this more in the virtual trail guide if you plan on attempting this hike in May/June.

Hike Tip(s): Don’t underestimate this hike just because it’s not a lot of mileage. The hike starts off very mellow, but after the first mile or so, the elevation starts and it’s basically nonstop until you summit Mt Massive. On the way down, don’t forget to come back the way you came otherwise, you will hike down the east slopes and have a LONG hike back to your car.

Best Views: In my opinion, the southwest slopes are the best way to hike Mt Massive. The approach from Halfmoon Creek road is beautiful following the namesake creek and once you start hiking the views are basically nonstop until you reach the summit. The approach provides you with fantastic views of Mt Oklahoma (a Centennial), Deer Mountain, Mt Champion and of course neighboring Mt Elbert. If you like long exposure photography, bring those filters and tripod because there are ample options to take some shots.

Mt Massive Southwest Slopes Hike Route

Ignore my route on the way up, we were a bit off the trail

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 Mt Massive Southwest Slopes: June 2020

In early 2020, I spent a lot of my free time hiking up 14ers that I had already summited but in many cases, on different routes. I had previously hiked Mt Massive from the fish hatchery but this time decided to take Juno and hike via its Southwest slopes. This approach was far more scenic in my opinion but did involve a little bit of extra walking due to our lack of vehicle clearance. Outside of some off trail hiking due to trail finding issues and dodging the afternoon thunderstorms, this was a beautiful day up on Mt Massive. Check out some pictures from the hike below and watch the full trail guide as well.