Monarch Crest Out-and-Back

The Monarch Crest Out-and-Back begins at the Monarch Crest trailhead, located at Monarch Pass on the Continental Divide. The trailhead features a small restaurant, tourist gift shop, restrooms, and a scenic tramway. The route starts on the dirt road adjacent to the facilities, winding under the gondola cables and heading south along the Continental Divide. The initial portion of the hike climbs toward the treeline using a combination of singletrack and 4x4 roads. While the initial dirt road climbs steadily, a singletrack sidehill trail branches off early on, later rejoining the 4x4 road. The route continues along a longer 4x4 road climb before transitioning back to singletrack. Watch for the singletrack turn-off on the right side of the road to access the Continental Divide Trail, which remains singletrack for the remainder of the route. The trail emerges into the alpine zone near Mount Peck and winds along the treeline toward the junction with the Fooses Creek Trail. For an additional challenge, an off-trail ridge hike to the northeast leads to the summit of Pahlone Peak at 12,670 feet, which requires route-finding and navigation skills in exposed high-alpine terrain.