Quandary Peak

As of July 30, 2021 you *must* purchase a parking pass (half-day or full day) in advance in order to park here. There is no cell signal from the parking lot, so purchase your pass up to 14 days in advance. If you don't want to pay to park (or reservations are full) you can utilize the Quandary Peak shuttle which is free and will operate from the Breckenridge Airport Road Lot from 5:00 a.m. to 6:30 p.m., 7 days a week and will run every 30 minutes. From the parking lot, there is a large sign indicating a short hiking path that will take you from the lot to a dirt road (CO851). Turn right and walk up the road to the clearly marked Trailhead (just opposite a very small parking lot), heading west nearly parallel to the road. The trail is clear, easy, and relatively low grade. In about 0.3 miles there is a large boulder to the right of the trail. Turn right around it. The trail is clear during the summer months, but in the event that it is covered with snow it's easy to miss this turn. After gaining about 700 vertical ft, you'll start to pass through some clearings, some of which are fairly flat, at 11,300'. The trail crosses some abandoned mining roads, but clear signs should keep confusion to a minimum. At 11,700' the trees become sparse. The ridge pops into view around 11,800'. The trail brings you along the left side of the ridge. Follow the switchbacks up towards the ridge proper, which you should reach at around 12,400'. From here the summit is visible and it's more or less impossible to get lost. At 13,100', angle left along some flats to stay on the ridge. From here the trail gets rockier but is still clear;the grade gets steeper but is still manageable. At 13,400' trail stops switchbacking and heads more or less straight up until you hit the 14k' mark. From here, continue up along the summit ridge and celebrate!

Quandary Peak, while lumped in with the Mosquito Range Fourteeners, is the only 14er truly in the Tenmile Range. It is consistently one of the most crowded routes every summer.