Barr Trail to Pikes Peak Summit Hiking Guide
Barr Trail is the hiker's way up Pikes Peak: 12.6 miles and about 7,500 feet from Manitou Springs to a 14,115-foot summit with a road, a railway and a visitor center on top. Fred Barr built it, finishing in 1921, and the Forest Service says more than 150,000 people use it every year. The agency's advice is blunt: unless you are used to hiking at altitude, don't try the round trip in one day.
Permit: No hiking permit is required, but the Barr Trail lot at 13 Hydro Street is paid around the clock ($22.90/day weekdays, $32.90/day weekends, 10-day maximum, reservable). Barr Camp lodging and any Cog Railway seat down are paid separately.
The Numbers, Honestly
Friends of the Peak gives Barr Trail as 12.6 miles one way with about 7,500 feet of climbing, from roughly 6,700 feet at the trailhead to 14,115 on top; Visit Colorado Springs cites a 7,800-foot altitude gain. AllTrails maps the out-and-back at 24.2 miles with about 7,440 feet of gain. The Forest Service estimates that an average hiker needs about 16 hours for the round trip and warns that people not used to hiking at these altitudes should not try it in one day. Even the descent alone, it notes, is very tiring on unconditioned legs and feet.
Splitting It Up
The usual way to make the climb humane is to break it in two. Barr Camp, at about 10,200 feet and roughly halfway, has bunks, lean-tos, tent sites and a private cabin for overnight guests, plus food for sale, under a Forest Service permit. About 9 miles up, just below timberline, the Forest Service notes an open shelter where campfires are allowed. Above it the trail climbs out of the trees for the final push; in all, the Forest Service says, Barr Trail crosses three ecological zones.
Getting Back Down
Plan the descent before you leave. The Pikes Peak Highway does not offer its shuttle to people who hike up, and its own FAQ points hikers to a private service, Rocky Mountain Ride, instead. The Broadmoor Manitou and Pikes Peak Cog Railway runs year-round and sells one-way seats down from the summit only when there is space, so treat it as a bonus rather than the plan. Otherwise arrange a ride with friends driving the highway, or walk back down, which is a long day by itself.
Weather Above Treeline
AllTrails warns that the top of Pikes Peak can be very stormy and recommends starting very early and reaching the summit by noon. That matters more here than on most hikes: the final miles are exposed, the altitude slows everyone, and an afternoon thunderstorm can arrive while you still have hours of open ground ahead. Summer is the usual summit season; in winter the route may need technical gear and skills. The Summit Visitor Center, opened in June 2021, has a café, a gift shop and a warm place to wait for your ride.
Parking, Dogs and Race History
Start from the Barr Lot on Hydro Street in Manitou Springs, which is paid 24 hours a day, takes advance reservations and allows stays of up to 10 days, useful if you overnight at Barr Camp. Leashed dogs are allowed, but a 14,000-foot day is a big ask of any dog. The trail is also a racecourse: the Pikes Peak Marathon began in 1956, and in 1959 Arlene Pieper became the first woman to officially finish a marathon in the United States here.
Hiking tips for Barr Trail to Pikes Peak Summit
- Line up a ride down from the summit before you start; the highway shuttle won't carry hikers.
- Aim to be on top by noon and turn back if storms build earlier.
- Consider a night at Barr Camp to split the climb.
- Pack warm layers; the summit is more than 7,000 feet higher than the trailhead.
- Book a multi-day Barr Lot space if you plan to stay overnight.
Nearby trails to explore
- Barr Trail to Barr Camp
- Manitou Incline
- Mount Cutler Trail
Hike this trail with TrailMates
Pikes Peak by Barr Trail is a summit to plan with a partner and a ride waiting at the top. Use TrailMates to find Colorado Springs hikers heading to Pikes Peak. Download the TrailMates app to connect.