Best Hikes Near Buena Vista, Colorado
5 curated trails near Buena Vista, with stats, difficulty, parking info, and what to expect on the ground.
Mount Harvard (South Slopes)
Third-highest peak in Colorado via the long but non-technical North Cottonwood Creek approach. Often combined with Mount Columbia for a brutal double-summit traverse. Plan for a 10+ hour day.
Mount Yale (Southwest Slopes)
Popular Collegiate Peak with a steep but straightforward Class 2 standard route from the Denny Creek Trailhead. The summit views span the Arkansas Valley and the rest of the Collegiate Peaks.
Mount Princeton (East Slopes)
Class 2 route that starts on a rough 4WD road. High-clearance vehicles can drive partway, otherwise add 6 miles of road walking. The upper mountain is a wide, talus-covered ridge.
Mount Antero (West Slopes)
Famous for aquamarine mining at high elevation. Long approach via 4WD road, then steep alpine route. High-clearance vehicles can shorten the day significantly.
Mount Columbia (West Slopes)
Often combined with Mount Harvard via a long, scree-laden ridge traverse. The standalone West Slopes route is steep and direct from the North Cottonwood Creek trailhead.
14ers Near Buena Vista
4 Colorado 14ers (peaks over 14,000 ft) have their trailheads near Buena Vista.
Mount Harvard
Sawatch Range
Mount Princeton
Sawatch Range
Mount Yale
Sawatch Range
Mount Columbia
Sawatch Range