Mount Massive Loop

The Mount Massive Loop is a challenging 12.8-mile trail that summits Mount Massive, the second-highest peak in Colorado at 14,421 feet. Situated within the Mount Massive Wilderness of the Sawatch Range near Leadville, the loop starts at 10,064 feet and climbs approximately 4,482 feet to a maximum elevation of 14,418 feet. Beginning at the Mount Massive Trailhead, the route travels clockwise, heading west along the North Halfmoon Creek Trail. This section follows Halfmoon Creek through a forested valley before turning onto the Southwest Slopes Trail. Above the treeline, the path climbs steeply through exposed, rocky alpine terrain, crossing several false summits along the three-mile-long summit ridge before reaching the main peak. The descent follows the East Slopes Route, which branches off from the Southwest Slopes Trail just below the summit. This path winds down through alpine meadows via a series of switchbacks. At the bottom of the descent, the route links with the Colorado Trail, heading south to return to the Mount Massive Trailhead.