Longs Peak - Keyhole Route

The Keyhole Route is the classic, highly demanding Class 3 scramble to the summit of 14,259-foot Longs Peak, the highest point in Rocky Mountain National Park. Starting from the East Longs Peak Trailhead at approximately 9,400 feet, this strenuous 13.6-mile round-trip climb gains roughly 5,300 feet of elevation. Because afternoon thunderstorms pose an extreme lightning threat above the treeline, hikers typically begin their ascent between 2:00 AM and 3:00 AM to ensure they reach the summit and descend to safety before noon. The first five miles of the route follow a well-defined, heavily trafficked trail. Winding through dense subalpine forest, the trail passes junctions for Eugenia Mine, Battle Mountain, and Chasm Lake. Upon emerging above the treeline near 11,500 feet, the route traverses open alpine tundra toward Granite Pass. Beyond the pass, the trail climbs toward the Boulderfield at 12,750 feet, where the formal trail ends and the terrain transforms into a rugged, boulder-strewn expanse featuring a designated backcountry campground and solar toilets. The technical climbing begins at the Keyhole, a massive, natural rock notch in the ridge at 13,150 feet. Passing through this gap marks the transition from a standard mountain hike to a highly exposed scramble. Route finding past this point is aided by red-and-yellow painted bullseyes on the rock. The route first traverses the Ledges, a series of narrow, slabby shelves with sheer drop-offs that require steady footwork and handholds. After the Ledges, hikers enter the Trough, a steep, 600-foot gully filled with loose dirt and scree where rockfall is a constant hazard. At the top of the Trough, the route squeezes onto the Narrows—a highly exposed, narrow ledge traversing a sheer cliff face. This leads directly to the Homestretch, a steep, polished granite slab where scramblers must climb on all fours using cracks and friction to reach the expansive, flat summit.

The Arapaho historically called Longs Peak *Nestaas* ("two guides"). Named after Major Stephen H. Long in 1820, the peak's first recorded ascent was completed on August 23, 1868, by John Wesley Powell and William Byers. In 1873, English traveler Isabella Bird completed a famous ascent guided by "Mountain Jim" Nugent. Enos Mills, who championed the creation of Rocky Mountain National Park, climbed the peak nearly 300 times. Along the route at 13,150 feet stands the Agnes Vaille Shelter, built in 1927 as a memorial to the climber who died during a 1925 winter descent. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1992, the stone structure serves as emergency refuge for storm-bound climbers.