Mount Ida Trail

Mount Ida Trail is a hard out-and-back from Poudre Lake at Milner Pass to a 12,900-foot summit on the Continental Divide. It is about 9.6 miles round trip, with roughly 2,300 to 2,500 feet of climbing, and takes most of a day at this altitude; plan on six to eight hours. This is a good pick if you want a long alpine climb and a real summit, but it is a lot of work for anyone who is uncomfortable above treeline. Mileage reports run from about 9 to 9.6 miles round trip. Budget for the long end, especially if you need extra time to find your way through the rocks near the top.

The route leaves Poudre Lake and follows the Ute Trail around the lake’s south end. At about 0.6 mile, take the right branch toward Mount Ida; the other fork heads toward Forest Canyon Pass. You start high already, so give yourself a moment to settle into the climb rather than charging straight uphill.

At roughly 1.1 miles, around 11,350 feet, the forest gives way to open tundra. The climb comes in steep pushes with flatter stretches between them, and views open west toward the jagged Never Summer Mountains. From here you are out in the weather for much of the hike. Wind and fast-building storms make the ridge feel more serious than its mileage alone suggests; high-elevation snow and ice can linger into summer.

Near mile 2.8, a large cairn marks the turn toward the saddle below Mount Ida. The route drops briefly, then climbs again to the mountain’s base around mile 3.5. The final stretch is rocky and increasingly hard to follow. Cairns, faint tread and false summits are part of the experience, so keep your route handy and leave time to sort out the line instead of rushing the last mile.

The rocky high point is about 12,900 feet. The payoff is a wide view across the Never Summer and Mummy ranges, with Longs Peak, Kawuneeche Valley, and Azure and Inkwell Lakes among the landmarks. From the top, turn west toward the sharp Never Summer skyline; leaving some broken ridge in the frame gives the view a sense of scale.

The tundra has a very brief growing season, sometimes around 40 days. Arctic gentian and alpine sunflower are among the flowers recorded here; marmots, pikas and ptarmigans are possible sightings, though wildlife is never guaranteed. Take the time to look across the slopes during the easier stretches, when you are not picking your way through rocks.

The trailhead is at Milner Pass on Trail Ridge Road, which closes to vehicles seasonally. A valid park entrance fee or pass is required, and pets are prohibited on park trails, tundra and meadows. Check road access before you drive up; a road closure can change whether you can reach the start.