GPS Coordinates: 38°42' 33.63"N, 106°17' 29.85" W
Rating 5
Unless you have a fear of heights Mt. Antero is not a difficult trail. Due to the elevation of the trail you will not want to travel the trail early in the season or after a winter with a significant snowpack. There are a couple of small stream crossings at the beginning of the trail, a long rocky shelf road and lots of switchbacks with an elevation gain of 4850 feet.
Directions
From Colorado Springs take Hwy 24 west for approximately 76 miles to Hwy 24/285. Turn left (south) on Hwy 24/285 for about 14 miles until the highway passes over the Arkansas River then turn left onto Hwy 285. Go about 5 miles to just past Nathrop and take a right (west) on Chafee County Rd. 162. Travel about 12 miles to on CC Rd. 162 and turn left at the sign to Mt. Antero.
Trail Description
Mount Antero is the tenth highest peak in Colorado, with an elevation of 14,269 ft . Mt. Antero is named for Chief Antero of the Uinitah band of the Ute Indian tribe. Chief Antero was a voice for peace during a period of time with very problematic relations in the late 1860s and 1870s. Mt. Antero is also the mountain with the highest elevation named for a Native American.
The mountain is also prized for its semi-precious gemstone deposits and has one of the highest concentrations of aquamarine in the country. Most of the aquamarine on the mountain has been mined several years ago but its still possible to find some small aquamarine deposits.
The first 2 miles of the trail is a rough, rocky shelf road through a lush pine and aspen forest. The trail is narrow and has some steep drop-offs that will get the pulse to quicken. However, during this portion of the trail, the forest is lush and scenic, especially where it closely follows Baldwin Creek. At the 2.7 mile point, you cross Baldwin Creek, which is usually not very deep.
There are several narrow switchback shelf roads with steep drop-offs, but the road is very solid with little or no off-camber sections. However, most portions of this section provide no place to turn around or to pass, so it pays to watch for on-coming vehicles and plan ahead. . After a little over 3 miles is Brown’s Lake; a nice open, shaded space to stop for lunch. The highest you can drive on the trail is 13,900 feet.
The Mt. Antero Trail is about 7 miles in length one way and takes between 2 hours to 2.5 hours to reach the peak.