+ 101
Lookout Mountain via Chimney Gulch
Trail Running Route
Moderate
7.11 mi
1,690 ft
Challenging ascent of Lookout Mountain from its base in the town of Golden.
To get to the top of Lookout Mountain, you could take the easy way (driving the road), or the hard way—running Chimney Gulch. This route is a linkup of three trails that makes a determined ascent from the town of Golden to the 7,372-foot mountaintop. It’s a challenging but highly rewarding workout and an easy trip from Denver. The summit of Lookout Mountain has a parking area, visitor center, historic buildings, and a lofty overlook of Golden and Denver. You’ll feel like you really earned this vista if you make the human-powered ascent of Chimney Gulch, however, rather than taking the drive. Points throughout the run provide broad views of the surrounding landscape, including Clear Creek Canyon and peaks of the Front Range in the distance. The trail travels through a mix of sunny, brushy slopes and shady pine forest. It is a steep and steady uphill on mostly dirt, but occasionally rocky, surface. The trail is shared with mountain bikers, who may come downhill at high speed. They should know to yield to hikers and trail runners, however. The route is mapped here from Highway 6 to Lookout Mountain Summit. Note that it crosses Lookout Mountain Road in two places. Either crossing makes an intermediate trailhead if you want a shorter run, but parking is scarcer at both spots than along Highway 6. From the second crossing of Lookout Road, in Windy Saddle Park, you will be following Lookout Mountain Trail for almost a mile. The final half-mile to the summit is on the hiker-only Buffalo Bill Trail. Sources: Written by Jesse Weber
To get to the top of Lookout Mountain, you could take the easy way (driving the road), or the hard way—running Chimney Gulch. This route is a linkup of three trails that makes a determined ascent from the town of Golden to the 7,372-foot mountaintop. It’s a challenging but highly rewarding workout and an easy trip from Denver. The summit of Lookout Mountain has a parking area, visitor center, historic buildings, and a lofty overlook of Golden and Denver. You’ll feel like you really earned this vista if you make the human-powered ascent of Chimney Gulch, however, rather than taking the drive. Points throughout the run provide broad views of the surrounding landscape, including Clear Creek Canyon and peaks of the Front Range in the distance. The trail travels through a mix of sunny, brushy slopes and shady pine forest. It is a steep and steady uphill on mostly dirt, but occasionally rocky, surface. The trail is shared with mountain bikers, who may come downhill at high speed. They should know to yield to hikers and trail runners, however. The route is mapped here from Highway 6 to Lookout Mountain Summit. Note that it crosses Lookout Mountain Road in two places. Either crossing makes an intermediate trailhead if you want a shorter run, but parking is scarcer at both spots than along Highway 6. From the second crossing of Lookout Road, in Windy Saddle Park, you will be following Lookout Mountain Trail for almost a mile. The final half-mile to the summit is on the hiker-only Buffalo Bill Trail. Sources: Written by Jesse Weber
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Strava Routes
Route and Elevation
Segments
| Name | Distance | Elev. Diff. | Avg. Grade |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lookout Mountain Road Climb | 0.91 mi | 486 ft | 10.1% |
| chimney gulch to road@windy saddle | 2.13 mi | 1,083 ft | 9.6% |
| Jordan owes me $200 | 0.52 mi | 279 ft | 9.9% |
| Chmney Gulch to Buffalo Bill trail climb | 3.06 mi | 1,506 ft | 9.3% |
| Chimney Gulch, the middle bit | 1.48 mi | 702 ft | 9.0% |
| Lookout MTN Hillclimb Challenge | 2.59 mi | 1,119 ft | 8.0% |
| Chimney Gulch Trail Climb | 0.39 mi | 157 ft | 7.3% |
| Road to Saddle climb | 1.31 mi | 656 ft | 9.5% |
| Chimney Gulch Trail Climb | 0.44 mi | 207 ft | 8.7% |
| Chimney Gulch Trail Climb | 0.28 mi | 138 ft | 9.2% |
| U.S. 6 Climb | 0.31 mi | 148 ft | 8.9% |
| windy saddle to dogleg | 0.83 mi | 397 ft | 9.0% |
| Lookout Mtn. Trail Climb | 0.44 mi | 256 ft | 10.9% |
| Saddle to road | 1.32 mi | -659 ft | -9.4% |
| Chimney Descent from Windy Saddle | 1.42 mi | -692 ft | -9.2% |
| The only segment without snow | 0.83 mi | -417 ft | -9.5% |