Leave No Trace
Overview
| Wilderness One Way Length Beginning Elevation Peak Elevation Gain/Loss/Net Gain Ratings USFS Regulations Trails Illustrated Quadrangle |
Comanche Peak (& RMNP) 3.4 miles (from trailhead to RMNP boundary) 9,044 10,343 1,302/3/+1,299 Hikers – Moderate to Strenuous; Stock – Challenging National Forest > Wilderness #112 Poudre River, Cameron Pass Pingree Park |
Location
Poudre Canyon. Drive 26.5 miles from Ted’s Place to the Pingree Park Road (at mm 96.1), cross the Cache La Poudre River, and drive 16.5 miles to the entrance of the CSU Pingree Park Campus. Stormy Peaks access is a few hundred yards southeast of the entrance. Facilities are located at Tom Bennett Campground. Riders: No water for stock.
| GPS Coordinates Trailhead Jct. spur trail to Denny’s Point Jct. Twin Lakes Trail Lower Wilderness boundary Upper Wilderness bndry. & RMNP boundary Jct. spur trail to Stormy Peaks North campsites |
N40°34.222’ W105°35.259’ Map N40°33.965’ W105°35.118’ N40°33.797’ W105°35.043’ N40°32.869’ W105°36.055’ N40°32.320’ W105°36.500’ N40°31.741’ W105°36.152’ |
Description
The Stormy Peaks Trail follows a moraine above and to the southeast of the South Fork of the Poudre River. There is a fork in the trail 0.7 mile from the trailhead with the left fork (with a trail sign) going to Twin Lakes and the right fork (unsigned) going to Stormy Peaks. Take the right fork. You hike 1.8 miles before reaching the Comanche Peak Wilderness boundary, then 1.3 miles within the Wilderness before you reach the north boundary of RMNP. You’ll have good views of Pingree Park and the Mummy Range along the way. The trail is quite steep from the RMNP boundary to the top of “Stormy.” The trail through this tundra area is barely noticeable and it is necessary to follow the rock cairns. Stormy Peaks trail is often used by backpackers to access RMNP and to begin or complete a shuttled trip through the park via the North Fork Trail, which begins at the Dunraven parking area. The Stormy Peaks and Signal Mountain trails can both be hiked over a weekend by camping at Tom Bennett Campground just below the CSU Pingree Park campus and hiking one trail each day.
