Colorado Wilderness Rides And Guides Guided 2020 Summer Backpacking Dates Announced

Colorado’s National Parks and Wilderness Areas are famed around the world for their scenic campsites, grand views, challenging trails, and some of the best backpacking in North America. From the splendor of Rocky Mountain National Park to the canyons and mesas of the Flat Tops Wilderness, Colorado’s varied landscapes range from mountain to desert, offering a number of options for every backpacking enthusiast. Our backpacking trips take all the guesswork out of planning your perfect trip. From obtaining RMNP backcountry permits to taking care of all group gear, food, and transportation, we provide the best guided backpacking experiences in all of Colorado. Check out our guided summer backpacking trips for Summer 2020! Backpacking enthusiasts flock to Colorado in the summer to explore the backcountry-beauty of Rocky Mountain National Park. America’s 10th National Park features breathtaking mountain scenery, shimmering alpine lakes, waterfalls, wildlife, and some of the most iconic campsites in Colorado. With over 350 miles of trails throughout the park, there are opportunities to bag one of the 60+ 12,000’ or higher peaks, fly fish in remote lakes and streams, and explore some of the farthest reaches of Colorado’s most beloved wilderness. From the family-friendly routes and trails along the Tonahutu Creek in Big Meadows to the mega-challenge of a Boulder-Grand Pass traverse, we can customize any of our backpacking adventures to fit your skill level.

The joy of backpacking in Rocky Mountain National Park is the interconnectivity of the trails. A Mt. Alice ascent can turn into a full traverse across the park. An easier trail like Big Meadows can be made more difficult by crossing over to North Inlet, and with the ability to add a number of activities such as fly fishing, guests can explore the Park in new ways. Come explore the wonders of Rocky Mountain National Park with a guided Rocky Mountain backpacking trip!

Click here for more details on all of our backpacking trips! July 08 – 12 (5 days Continental Divide Loop) August 12 -16 (5 days Continental Divide Loop) August 1 – August 3: Thunder Lake Fly Fishing – Full

July 2 – July 5 (3-4 days and we can adjust trip length – This can be peaks, fly fishing or day hikes from an subalpine Lake setting)
July 16 – July 20 (Flexible Trip Length, 3-5 days option for 1 way traverse of park)
July 30 – August 03 (Flexible Trip Length, 3-5 days, option for 1 way traverse of park)
August 27 – August 31 (Flexible Trip Length, 3-5 days, option for 1 way traverse of park)

Other Trip Options - 3 day Sandbeach Lake – Full July 4-6th - Ouzel Lake July 24 - July 27 (3-4 days, Flexible trip length) - Lawn Lake August 07 – August 09 (2 or 3 day trip)

Roosevelt National Forest – Guided Backpacking with a ‘Locals Only’ Feel

Set just an hour west of Boulder, Roosevelt National Forest is a true Colorado hidden gem. The Forest is an escape into the wild for many Front Rangers who want to avoid the tourists and traffic jams found in the National Park. This is the most notable advantage to the National Forest - campsites are easier to acquire, trails are less crowded, and “on the fly” weekend escapes become possible. The area features a magnificent skyline with a number of opportunities for peak ascents and traverses as well as exploring some of Colorado’s lesser-known year-round snowfields. The alpine lakes and waterfalls are magnificent, filled with trout and offering some of the best and most secluded fly-fishing in the state. This forest also features a diverse range of wildlife: moose, elk, black bears, and bald eagles are only a few of the species that call this diverse landscape of deeply wooded forests and high alpine scenery home. We’ll get to camp just minutes from our favorite watering holes, or nearby the trailheads for some of our favorite peaks, making multi-sport adventures very accessible in the wilderness. Join us for an unforgettable adventure to Roosevelt National Forest this summer!

Flat Tops Wilderness – Dispersed Camping In a Mesa Wilderness

Imagine waking up in a country of towering mesas, trout-filled alpine lakes, and monolithic rock formations. The Flat Tops Wilderness, set near Steamboat Springs, is one of Colorado’s most unique landscapes, featuring green, tree-lined forests set against the soaring cliffs of the White River National Forest. The Flat Tops Wilderness, named for it’s iconic mesa formations, is a paradise of rushing streams and lakes with Northern Colorado’s best fly fishing and prized trout stocks, with fully loaded lakes and streams of rainbow, brown, and greenback cutthroat trout, native only to Colorado. While hiking the landscape of the Flat Tops Wilderness, we’ll get to explore iconic formations such as Devil’s Causeway, which traverses a thin strip high up on the mesa, and the exposed Chinese Wall Trail. Because of the Flat Tops dispersed landscape, we aren’t limited to certain campsites. We have free rein over our campsites and have better access to peaks and fishing opportunities.

After thoroughly hiking the Flat Tops Wilderness, it’s time to explore the nearby Upper Colorado River, with its extraordinary Red Rock Canyons and riverside camping. The Upper Colorado weaves through breathtaking alpine desert country, exploring swaths of the river that played a crucial role in Colorado’s Gold Rush. Following the historic railroad route, the Upper Colorado is full of beginner to intermediate rapids, hidden caves, hot springs, and cliff jumping opportunities. On the Upper Colorado two-day journey, we’ll camp on the beaches next to the river where we have easy access to the put-in points, and we’ll get to fly-fish from the boat or by wading into the river. We’ll go looking for trout species such as brown, rainbow, and greenback cutthroat. This is one of Colorado’s most famed fly-fishing rivers. Colorado Wilderness Rides and Guides is Colorado’s premier backpacking guide service offering backpacking to Rocky Mountain National Park, Roosevelt National Forest and The Flat Tops Wilderness. Our goal is to take all the guesswork of your trip to provide you with a one of a kind experience that meets all your needs and desires. We are specialists in large group guided backpacking trips across Colorado, and we’ll provide the permits, the gear, food, and transportation. Click here for more details on all of our backpacking trips