Near Mt. Princeton
Mt. Princeton summit. Altitude has been shown to contribute to absurdity.
Near Mt. Princeton
Hikers along the ridge, just a little above the switchbacking trail.
Near Mt. Princeton
Mt. Princeton Summit view of Tigger Peak
Near Mt. Princeton
Mt. Princeton on 7/17/19.
Near Mt. Princeton
The turnoff for Mt. Princeton can be seen to the right, with the Jeep road continuing to the left. 13er Tigger Peak is dead ahead. The route goes below and to the right of this mountain.

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Driving Directions
Classic Hike Route

Mt. Princeton

3.8 (24 Ratings)
A classic Sawatch 14er with a shorter approach than most.
6.6
mi
Distance
5,260
ft
Gain
strenuous
Difficulty
Regional Classic
A must do route for the area handpicked by local experts.
Fall ColorsViewsWildflowersWildlife
Access Issues
County Road 322 is extremely narrow and rough. High clearance vehicles recommended if driving up. I made it in my Subaru, but it was very sketchy, and I wouldn't do it again. This road is closed in the winter, and conditions are variable year-round.

Route Details

Flatter
Steeper
6.59mi
Distance
5,260ft
Elevation Gain
33ft
Elevation Loss
65%
Max Grade
14,191ft
High Point
8,958ft
Low Point
Path Type
Point to Point
Description
From the center of Buena Vista, drive west on County Road 306. In 0.7 miles, turn south on CR 321 and drive 7 miles. Come to a fork and bear right onto CR 322. Drive under a mile to another fork, one for a ranch and one, clearly signed, for Mt. Princeton. Turn right for Mt. Princeton. Park here (8,900 ft) if unless you have a high clearance vehicle & confidence. Continue driving up the road if you're piloting something burlier. Over 3 miles up the road there are some radio towers with pullouts for 8 cars or so. There are a few campsites here as well, around 10,800 ft. Unless you're comfortable driving on a narrow shelf road with rock steps and bumps, park down low. There's nowhere to turn around for 3 miles. From the upper TH at the radio towers, continue hiking up on CR 322A (the road away from, not toward, the radio towers). Continue for about 1.5 miles on the road before turning right onto Mt. Princeton Trail at 11,800 ft, just a few minutes after breaking tree line. The Jeep Road continues up along 13er Tigger Peak and is accessible by car for 1-2 months of the year. The beginning of this trail remains class 1 but is absurdly steep. The grade relents after about 200 vertical and the trail continues below the Tigger-Princeton ridge. It's class 2 from here on out. Talus hop cautiously before continuing up some switchbacks to reach the ridge at 13,100 ft. There's an old trail below the switchbacks, but it more or less dead-ends below the ridge. Once on the ridge, don your wind protection and continue toward the summit. Cross along some flat areas by some rock features until you reach 13,500 ft, after which the grade cranks up. Continue up some excellent class 2 trail to reach the summit - it's just a short stretch from here, where you'll have excellent views overlooking Buena Vista.
History & Background
Mt. Princeton, while first summited in 1877 by an alumna of its namesake, was named years prior by Harvard graduate - and Wyoming high point namesake - Henry Gannett.

Route Conditions

Report Conditions
Anonymous Adventurer
Some Issues
Knee deep snow no one on the trail just tons of powder decided it wasn’t worth it to try and push to camp and then up to the summit
Anonymous Adventurer
All Clear
Anonymous Adventurer
All Clear
Anonymous Adventurer
Some Issues
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Contributors
Jeremy Wallace