Mount Yale

14,196 ft · #21 highest in Colorado · Sawatch Range

Class 2 — off-trail / scree9.5 mi round trip4,300 ft gain

Elevation

14,196′

Difficulty

Class 2

Distance

9.5 mi

Elev. gain

4,300′

Nearest town

Buena Vista

County

Chaffee

Range

Sawatch

Rank

#21

Mount Yale is a Collegiate Peak between Buena Vista and Cottonwood Pass. The standard route is class 2 with a steep but well-marked trail through alpine basin.

Standard Route

From the Denny Creek Trailhead on Cottonwood Pass Road, the trail climbs steadily through forest into Delaney Gulch before ascending the southwest ridge to the summit. 9.5 miles round trip, 4,300 feet of gain.

What to Expect

Yale's summit is a small rocky knob with great views of Mount Princeton to the south and Mount Harvard to the north. The trail is in excellent condition.