Mount Nystrom

August 3, 2024

Mount Nystrom | 12,652 feet

6.45 miles; 1626 feet elevation gain

Total time: 2 hours 43 minutes

This is a wonderful moderate hike close to Denver. It took me about an hour to get to the base of Jones Pass and then 20 minutes of off-roading to the top of the pass. The pass is a rough gravel road, I would recommend 4WD to reach the top but high clearance is not needed. The parking area is limited, only big enough for about 10 cars. At the top of the pass you are on the Continental Divide Trail (CDT). This trail heads off to the right from the parking area but you could also go left and do another segment of the CDT. If you head left there are other 12ers and 13ers you can connect to, including Hassell Peak where I hiked last weekend from another route.

This route is very straightforward and easy to follow for the first 2 miles along the CDT. At this point you turn off the trail, at the random posts in the ground, to head for the summit. From here there is a faint trail in sections and no trail in other sections but the destination is in sight. You will navigate over grassy tundra and talus until you reach the summit. The biggest thing to note is that this trail is very up and down, the elevation gain is not all in one place. When you reach the summit you have only done half of the total elevation gain, so you do have some ascent on the way back.

The views are incredible the whole way with so many alpine lakes in sight. For an active recovery weekend this trail was perfect. I would love to do more of the CDT in this area, it is so beautiful and very runnable.