Longs Peak

Longs Peak is Rocky Mountain National Park’s highest summit at 14,259 feet, with a broad, flat-topped profile visible from much of the park. The standard Keyhole Route is a 15-mile round trip that takes 10 to 15 hours. The maintained trail ends at the Boulderfield; beyond it, the exposed climb crosses steep rock and narrow ledges where a fall can be fatal. Save the summit for experienced, acclimatized climbers ready for scrambling, route-finding and a hard descent.

Start by 3 a.m. and aim to leave the summit early: reaching the top is only halfway. Afternoon thunderstorms can make the descent harder and slower. Carry high-energy food and 3 to 4 quarts of water; there are no water sources on the Keyhole Route, and cell service is unreliable. Acclimatize first and bring navigation, emergency gear and warm layers. Snow- and ice-free conditions are most common from mid-July through mid-September, but winter-like weather can arrive at any time. Trailhead parking can fill before dawn in busy periods, so allow time for access and check conditions before setting out.

The route begins on a maintained trail from Longs Peak Trailhead, climbing through forest and open alpine terrain to the Boulderfield. Cross the boulders to the Keyhole, then follow the painted route markers around the mountain. The upper route has four very different sections: the Ledges traverse narrow ledges and a slot; the Trough is a loose-rock gully; the Narrows crosses a sheer face on a narrow ledge; and the Homestretch climbs a polished granite slab on hands and feet. The final 1.5 miles from the Keyhole to the summit are the toughest part.

The sheer east face of Longs Peak is called the Diamond. Chasm Lake sits in a glacial bowl below it and gives a close view of the wall without climbing to the summit; reaching the lake is a separate hike, not a roadside stop. For photos, include the lake or foreground rocks beneath the face to show its scale. From other parts of the park, the peak’s broad profile is the landmark to frame.

The rocks beneath this part of the park preserve a long history: metamorphic schist and gneiss formed about 1.8 billion years ago, while granite intrusions cooled roughly 1.4 billion years ago. The Rocky Mountain uplift began much later, nearly 70 million years ago. Glaciers carved the earlier valleys into U-shaped troughs and left cirques, moraines and alpine lakes; Chasm Lake occupies a cirque below Longs Peak’s east face.

Longs Peak is named for Major Stephen Long. He is reported to have been the first to spot the Front Range on behalf of the U.S. government, on June 30, 1820.