Barr Trail to Barr Camp Hiking Guide
Barr Camp sits at about 10,200 feet, roughly halfway up Barr Trail between Manitou Springs and the top of Pikes Peak. Turning around there gives you a full mountain day, most of it in forest, without committing to the summit. The camp is a volunteer-supported nonprofit on Forest Service land, and the cabin welcomes day hikers as well as overnight guests.
Permit: The Barr Trail lot at 13 Hydro Street, Manitou Springs, is paid 24 hours a day: $22.90 per day Monday-Friday and $32.90 Saturday-Sunday, 40 spaces, reservable in advance. No permit is needed to hike; overnight stays at Barr Camp are booked and paid separately.
How Far and How High
AllTrails lists the out-and-back to Barr Camp at 12.9 miles with about 3,500 feet of gain. Visit Colorado Springs puts the camp 6.5 miles from the trailhead, and Hiking Project calls it about 6.6 miles and 3,670 feet above the start. Friends of the Peak gives the trailhead elevation as about 6,700 feet and the camp as 10,200. The Forest Service rates Barr Trail more difficult because the grade is long, sustained and climbs to high elevation.
The Route Up
From the wooden Barr Trail sign the climb begins at once, with tight switchbacks that ease and lengthen once you are into the trees. Hikers coming off the top of the Manitou Incline turn onto Barr Trail to descend, so the lower miles are busy. Higher up, look for the Man of the Mountain carving in a tree root, then a sign at No-Name Creek, where the tread narrows. A gentle grade leads to Lightning Point and its view of the peak, and after a short drop and a wooden bridge the trail climbs gradually into camp.
At Barr Camp
No road reaches the camp; everything comes in on foot. Friends of the Peak describes a main cabin open to day users, food and other items for sale, and composting pit toilets, and the camp says overnight guests can choose a bunkhouse, three-person lean-tos, tent sites or a private cabin that sleeps 12, with a pancake breakfast included. Plan to pay for anything you buy, and treat any stream water before you drink it, as the Forest Service advises.
Parking at Hydro Street
Manitou Springs runs the Barr Lot at 13 Hydro Street: 40 spaces, paid around the clock, $22.90 a day on weekdays and $32.90 on weekends, with a 10-day maximum and advance booking. Incline and Cog Railway visitors are not allowed to use it, which keeps it for Barr Trail hikers but still fills on nice weekends. The Forest Service points to the free Route 33 Manitou shuttle as the alternative to paid parking.
Dogs, Weather and Timing
Leashed dogs are allowed on the trail, but the climb is long and dry for a dog in summer, so carry water for two. The Forest Service's main advice for Barr Trail is to start very early in the morning, and that holds even on the Barr Camp turnaround. Summer afternoons on the Front Range often bring thunderstorms, and Lightning Point is not a name to argue with.
Hiking tips for Barr Trail to Barr Camp
- Reserve a Barr Lot space ahead for weekends, or ride the Route 33 shuttle.
- Start at first light so you are heading down before afternoon storms build.
- Bring cash or a card for snacks at Barr Camp, and a filter for stream water.
- Expect Incline traffic on the lower switchbacks in the morning.
- Turn around at camp unless you have planned and provisioned for the summit.
Nearby trails to explore
- Barr Trail to Pikes Peak Summit
- Manitou Incline
- Palmer Red Rock Loop (Section 16)
Hike this trail with TrailMates
Barr Camp is a long climb that goes faster with company and pancakes at the top. Use TrailMates to find Colorado Springs hikers heading to Barr Camp. Download the TrailMates app to connect.