Kit Carson Peak

14,165 ft · #24 highest in Colorado · Sangre de Cristo Range

Class 3 — scrambling14 mi round trip6,000 ft gain

Elevation

14,165′

Difficulty

Class 3

Distance

14 mi

Elev. gain

6,000′

Nearest town

Crestone

County

Saguache

Range

Sangre de Cristo

Rank

#24

Kit Carson Peak rises at the head of Willow Lake Basin and is typically combined with Challenger Point in a single day. The standard route involves several distinctive features including 'Kit Carson Avenue' — a horizontal ledge traverse.

Standard Route

From the Willow Creek Trailhead near Crestone, the trail climbs through aspen and pine forest to Willow Lake at 11,580 feet. From there, the route climbs to Challenger Point (a 14er in its own right) then traverses Kit Carson Avenue — a wide, exposed ledge — to reach the Kit Carson summit. 14 miles round trip, 6,000 feet of gain.

What to Expect

Kit Carson Avenue is the route's signature feature — a wide rocky ramp with a thousand-foot drop on one side. It's class 3 but not particularly exposed if you stay back from the edge. Most climbers do this peak with Challenger as a long day or split it with an overnight at Willow Lake.