Hiking – 4th of July TH to Arapaho Glacier Trails

We will meet at 6:30 am at the parking lot of the American Mountaineering Center in Golden, specifically on the west side of the parking lot, so we can form carpools and be on the road by 6:45 am.  Here’s a link to our meeting location in Google Maps: https://maps.app.goo.gl/dWwBvYoX3FjJGujy8  .

The trailhead for this hike is the 4th of July Trailhead, west of Nederland.  Here’s a Google Maps link for the trailhead:  https://maps.app.goo.gl/FpyfQSebrSijzYE17     The last 4 miles of the road to the trailhead are a bit rough, so our drivers will need vehicles with decent clearance, such as an SUV.  The parking at this trailhead fills up quickly, hence the early start.

For those coming from north of I-70, we can also arrange to meet you either at Nederland High School or at the parking lot at Plainview Dr and CO-72

This trip is on established trails at high elevation – between 10,100 and 12,700 feet - and at a moderate pace. 

From the 4^th of July trailhead we will follow the Arapaho Pass trail for 2 miles to the 4^th of July Mine.  From there we will follow the Arapaho Glacier Trail for 1.7 miles to the pass where will have closeup views of the Arapaho Glacier and South Arapaho Peak.  We will also have sweeping views of Jasper Peak, Mt Neva, and surrounding areas, as well as lots of wildflowers.  We will return to the trailhead on those same trails.

Here is a link to a trip in AllTrails that we will be following most of the way, up to the Arapaho Glacier pass – not doing just the last 0.5 mile up to Old Baldy’s summit:  https://www.alltrails.com/explore/trail/us/colorado/old-baldy-summit--2