Mt Massive East Slopes Hike Guide

July 8, 2024 The Virtual Sherpa Comments 1 comment

Mt Massive East slopes is the “standard” trail up the 2nd highest 14er in Colorado. This mountain is just 4ft lower than the highest in Colorado but sees far less traffic because let’s be honest, people don’t care as much as about 2nd place. Mt Massive East slopes route is Class 2, dog friendly and as a bonus, a great option for through hikers of the Colorado or Continental Divide trails.

Mt Massive East Slopes Quick Facts

Hike Rating: Mt Massive East Slopes ★★★★ (4/5 Stars)

Virtual Trail Guide: Mt Massive East Slopes

Distance: 13.5 Miles RT

Elevation Start: 10,100ft

Highest Point: 14,429ft

Total Elevation Gain: 4,500ft

Estimated Time to Complete: 6-8 Hours RT

Difficulty: Moderate Difficulty System Explained

Class: Class 2 What does this mean?

Season: Mid June- November (expect snow outside of this period)

Weather: Check the Weather Forecast

Directions to Mt Massive East Slopes

Trailhead: Mt Massive

Getting Here: When driving to Mt Massive from US24 just outside of Leadville, take CO300 for .8 miles and then turn left on Halfmoon Road. Continue for 1.3 miles and then take a right to stay on Halfmoon Road. Continue for 8 miles to reach the standard TH on the right.

Parking: The standard Mt Massive lot can fit about 15 vehicles and will fill up on most weekends and some weekdays. Additional parking is available at nearby Mt Elbert TH but this lot can also fill up. There are no restrooms at this TH.

Fees: None as of 2024

Summary

Camping: Looking for camping near this hike is not super difficult. Mt Massive has a ton of spots to camp including near the TH and along Halfmoon Road to the TH. Dispersed camping is most common, but there are a few campgrounds as well.

Dogs: This hike is dog friendly for the most part. However, the class 2 scrambling towards the top of the mountain can get rough on some dog’s pads. This entire hike is in a Wilderness area so dogs should be leashed.

Make it a Loop: This is an out and back hike, but if you want to descend a different route, you could theoretically do that with multiple vehicles. The most common way to do this would be hiking up/down the southwest slopes and then down/up Mt Massive East Slopes route.

Trail X Factors: Exposure to Weather

Evaluating and planning for weather is an important part about planning for any Colorado high peak. However, Mt Massive East slopes route in particular has A LOT of exposure to the elements. Once leaving treeline around 4 miles into the hike, the next 6 miles or so are entirely exposed to weather. Additionally, since you are hiking up the East side of the mountain, it will be very tricky to see what storms are rolling in from the West until you are up on the ridgeline.

Hike Tip(s): Looking to tag some unofficial 14ers? There are two that can be added on to this hike. The first is “South Massive” which is located about a ¼ mile to the South (opposite direction as the true summit) once you reach the ridgeline. Additionally, “North Massive” can be added on after tagging the true summit. This summit adds about a mile of extra hiking. Both options do not have an official trail. These two add-ons are not officially counted as 14ers due to the lack of fall/rise from one peak to their “summits’.”

Best Views: The trail up Mt Massive East slopes starts off fairly boring but once you break treeline the views are fantastic all the way to the top. I found it particularly enjoyable to look at Leadville and the Mosquito range to the East as we were coming down the trail.

Mt Massive East Slopes Hike Route

Added on South Massive as well

Download GPX File

Gear Needed

14er Day Hike Packing List
Men’s Trail Runners
Women’s Trail Runners
La Sportiva Trango Hiking Boots (Men’s)
La Sportiva Trango Hiking Boots (Women’s)
La Sportiva Cyklone
Backpack (Winter)
Backpack (Summer)
Running Vest Black
Food & Water
Optional: Garmin inReach
Optional: Hiking Poles – 120CM
Optional: Headlamp
Optional: Helmet
Optional: Garmin Fenix Watch
Optional: GoPro, Joby Tripod, Selfie Stick, GoPro 360, Drone, Insta360
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