Open in App
Get this trail on your phone instantly.
more stats
4.7 miles
Distance
3,847 ft
Climb
03:09:54
Avg time
3,847 ft
Altitude change
10,539 ft
Altitude min
14,386 ft
Altitude max
10,539 ft
Altitude start
14,386 ft
Altitude end
15.5%
Grade
1.9%
Grade max
81.5%
Grade min
5 miles
Distance climb
03:09:54
Avg time
South Mount Elbert Details
-
Activities
- Hike
- Mountain Bike
- Trail Running
-
Riding AreaTwin Lakes
Leadville, Colorado -
Ref Number#1481
-
Difficulty Rating
-
Local Popularity70 in Mountain Biking [+]
- 85 in Trail Running
- 95 in Hiking
-
Global Ranking
-
Hiking SAC ScaleT2 Mountain Hiking
-
Trail TypeSingletrack
-
Bike TypeAM, XC
-
DirectionBoth Directions
-
Climb DifficultyDouble Black Diamond
-
Physical RatingExtreme
-
Trail VisibilityAlways easy to follow
-
SeasonJul - Sept
-
Alpine TrailYes
-
Dogs AllowedYes
-
eBike Allowed
Do you like to hike-a-bike? If the rocky terrain doesn't get you, the elevation will. Plan on extended hike-a-bike on the way up and a long downhill as the reward for bagging the summit of Colorado's highest peak, Mt. Elbert at 14,433'.
Recent work on this trail has rerouted some of the worst parts of the hike-a-bike.
Access Info
South Mt. Elbert trailhead near Twin Lakes.
Disclaimer
Lots of hikers, play nice. Check current weather conditions!!
Trail Supporters
USFSLand Manager
Local Trail Association
-
-
Please consider joining or donating to the local trail association to supportDonate to earn trail karma!
trail development & maintenance.
Traditionally Indigenous Territory
Recent Activity on Trail
Past Week
- 0 rides
6 Months
- 1 rides
- 14 miles avg distance
All
- 32 rides
- Last: Jun 27, 2026
| c1 | c2 | c3 | c4 |
|---|---|---|---|
January | February | March | April |
May | June | July | August |
September | October | November | December |
South Mount Elbert Trail Reports
more »
close
-
Layers w
- Weather Layers
- Pro
- Pro
- Pro
- Pro
- Pro
- Pro
- More Layers
- Pro
- Pro
- Pro
- Pro
-
Upgrade to
3D
Trail Conditions
- Unknown
- Snow Groomed
- Snow Packed
- Snow Covered
- Snow Cover Partial
- Freeze/thaw Cycle
- Icy
- Prevalent Mud
- Wet
- Variable
- Ideal
- Dry
- Very Dry
Trail Flow (Ridden Direction)
Trailforks scans users ridelogs to determine the most popular direction each trail is ridden. A good flowing trail network will have most trails flowing in a single direction according to their intension.
The colour categories are based on what percentage of riders are riding a trail in its intended direction.
The colour categories are based on what percentage of riders are riding a trail in its intended direction.
- > 96%
- > 90%
- > 80%
- > 70%
- > 50%
- < 50%
- bi-directional trail
- no data
Trail Last Ridden
Trailforks scans ridelogs to determine the last time a trail was ridden.
- < 2 days
- < 1 week
- < 2 weeks
- < 1 month
- < 6 months
- > 6 months
Trail Ridden Direction
The intended direction a trail should be ridden.
- Downhill Only
- Downhill Primary
- Both Directions
- Uphill Primary
- Uphill Only
- One Direction
Contribute Details
Colors indicate trail is missing specified detail.
- Description
- Photos
- Description & Photos
- Videos
Trail Popularity ?
Trailforks scans ridelogs to determine which trails are ridden the most in the last 9 months.
Trails are compared with nearby trails in the same city region with a possible 25 colour shades.
Think of this as a heatmap, more rides = more kinetic energy = warmer colors.
- most popular
- popular
- less popular
- not popular
ATV/ORV/OHV Filter
Max Vehicle Width
inches
US Cell Coverage
Legend
Radar Time
Activity Recordings
Trailforks uses anonymized public activity data.
?
Activity Recordings
Trailforks uses anonymized public activity data.
?
Personal Heatmap
▶
Activity Types
all
/
none
▶
Options
2
Date range
month
–
Winter Trails
Warning
A routing network for winter maps does not exist. Selecting trails using the winter trails layer has been disabled.
Missing Trails
Most Popular
Least Popular
Trails are colored based on popularity. The more popular a trail is, the more red. Less popular trails trend towards green.
Jump Magnitude Heatmap
Heatmap of where riders jump on trails. Zoom in to see individual jumps, click circles to view jump details.
BC Backroad Status
![map legend]()
Service Road Atlas is a free to use, community-driven service for viewing and creating reports on the numerous back-country service roads around B.C. and Alberta.
Slope Aspect
Direction the slope faces
Trails Deemphasized
Trails are shown in grey.
Only show trails with no bike usage.
Suggested Layers
Based on selected activity type
Save the current map location and zoom level as your default home location whenever this page is loaded.
Save
Directions to south-mount-elbert trailhead
(39.110570, -106.393400)
Photos
34 more »
Videos
5 more »
Routes with this trail
Mt. Elbert - Shuttle Featured
★ 5.0 • 17 miles • 5,086 ft • 5 • Shuttled •
Who doesn't want to ride off the highest peak in the Rocky Mountains! This route takes a shuttle approach...
14 miles • 4,905 ft • 6 •
An out-and-back with a loop that meanders along the east ridge of .
5 Reviews & Comments
We hope you've been enjoying Trailforks!
Create a FREE account to view trail comments and much more.
Nearby Trails
- Ct Connector 3,993 ft
- S. Elbert Th To Ct 2 miles
- Mount Elbert 3 miles
- Lodgepole Flats South 3 miles
- South Mount Elbert Trail 3 miles
- By schillingsworth
TRAILFORKS HTA & contributors - #103646 - 6,111 views
Frequently Asked Questions About South Mount Elbert
▼
Where is South Mount Elbert located?
South Mount Elbert is located in Twin Lakes, Leadville, Colorado, United States. It is part of the Twin Lakes trail network. The trailhead is located at coordinates 39.11057, -106.3934.
▼
How hard is South Mount Elbert?
South Mount Elbert is rated as Black Diamond difficulty. The physical rating is Extreme. The average grade is 15.5%. The climb difficulty is rated Double Black Diamond.
▼
What is the elevation gain for South Mount Elbert?
South Mount Elbert has 3,847 ft of elevation gain. The elevation ranges from 10,539 ft to 14,386 ft.
▼
Is South Mount Elbert a point to point trail?
South Mount Elbert is not a point to point trail. The direction is Both Directions. The trail type is singletrack.
Hit the Trail
Download Trail
Save to wishlist, Garmin & download.
Find Related Routes
Find routes and users activities that include this trail.
You must enter a description before submitting.