Please Follow Leave No Trace Ethics!
This area is increasingly popular and experiencing heavy impacts from public use. Please stay on the designated trail, pack out trash, practice good trail etiquette, and leave pets at home. Click here to learn more.
Nestled in the Indian Peaks region of the Front Range, Mt Audubon is the perfect way to spend your first visit to the area. This broad mountain is known for wide expanses of tundra rather than dramatic cliffs or exposure. It’s a gentle hike for most of the route, with a short scramble to reach the summit peak. From there you’ll enjoy outstanding views of the surrounding peaks to the north and south. Plan your visit with this Mt Audubon Route Guide.
New to 13ers? Check Out my Beginners Guide Here to Get Started!
Mt Audubon Fast Facts
- Standard Route: East Slopes
- Trailhead: Mitchell Lake Trailhead
- Elevation Gain: About 2,700 feet
- Round-Trip Distance: 8.4 miles
- Difficulty Level: Class 2
- Range: Front Range
Mt Audubon Route Guide - East Slopes
Remember Mountain Safety Best Practices!
14ers can be dangerous due to altitude sickness, lightning, variable weather conditions, loose rock, and exposure. If you are new to hiking and climbing 14ers, click here and take a minute to review our safety tips and advice.
Starting off from 10,500 feet, the trail begins in thick evergreen forests. This is a busy trail due to its accessibility; you won’t be alone. About 1.5 miles in, you’ll leave the trees behind and climb a series of switchbacks onto the alpine tundra.
Remember to stay on trail from this point onward, as the tundra is extremely fragile and can take centuries to recover from trampling. About 1.7 miles in, you reach the only junction on the route. Stay left on the Mount Audubon Trail; the Beaver Creek Trail continues to the right.
After another 1-2 miles hiking along the tundra, you’ll have one more difficult section of switchbacks through a section of rocks. As you approach a saddle, watch for a cairn marking the point for you to turn left and begin your summit push.
At the cairn, turn left and begin to scramble up the final boulder field to reach the summit. This last stretch climbs roughly 600 feet in about half a mile over talus (loose, blocky rock), so expect some easy Class 2 scrambling. There is a loose trail, marked by cairns, to follow as you get higher on the mountain. You can also watch for others to follow – you won’t be alone.
Once you reach the summit, enjoy your accomplishment! A summit beer or sandwich are never a bad idea. You should ensure you head back to the trailhead with enough time to be back below tree line before afternoon thunderstorms become a hazard. I hope you found my Mt Audubon Route Guide helpful and informative.
The hike starts at the Mitchell Lake Trailhead (10,500 feet) inside the Brainard Lake Recreation Area, at the edge of the Indian Peaks Wilderness. This is a very popular trailhead, and the lot fills early on summer weekends. Plan an early start, which you want anyway to be off the summit before afternoon storms.
TIMED ENTRY RESERVATIONS:
In summer, you need a timed entry reservation from Recreation.gov to drive into the Brainard Lake Recreation Area. In 2026 the reservation season ran from June 12 to October 1. Check Recreation.gov for this year’s dates and fees before you go.
DIRECTIONS TO THE MITCHELL LAKE TRAILHEAD:
From Boulder, take CO-119 west to Nederland, then CO-72 (the Peak to Peak Highway) north to the town of Ward. From Ward, turn west onto Brainard Lake Road. It’s about 2.5 miles to the recreation area entrance, then about 3 more miles to the Mitchell Lake Trailhead.
Note: If the lot is full, do not park along the road or idle and wait for a spot to open. You create a traffic hazard and may be ticketed.
The right gear will make your time hiking Mount Audubon more enjoyable and reduce the risk that something goes wrong. Here’s what I recommend bringing with you on this trip.
- The Ten Essentials: Key gear to help you stay alive if something goes wrong.
- Hiking boots with good traction and ankle support.
- A backpack to store your food, water, and emergency supplies.
- Trekking poles to provide extra stability and support.
- Snacks to keep you going while hiking Mount Audubon
- Maps or Route Guides for the Mount Audubon area.
- A personal locator beacon in case anything happens to you and you need help.
- Water: I recommend 2 liters of water per person.
Camping near Mount Audubon:
- Pawnee Campground (inside the Brainard Lake Recreation Area, closest to the trailhead)
- Camp Dick Campground (off CO-72 north of Ward)
- Peaceful Valley Campground (off CO-72 north of Ward)
Book early, since these campgrounds fill fast in summer. Camping is not allowed in the Four Lakes zone of the Indian Peaks Wilderness (which includes Mitchell Lake) from May 1 to November 30, and campfires are not allowed in that part of the wilderness.
Lodging near Mount Audubon:
Nederland is the closest town with lodging, food and gas. Boulder has the widest range of hotels, and it’s an easy drive to the trailhead for an early start.
Help protect this beautiful area by following these Leave No Trace practices while hiking Mount Audubon. This includes:
- Plan ahead, review the route and pick a weekday or day in September to hike.
- Stay on the trail, and keep dogs leashed on and off-trail to reduce trampling of alpine grass.
- Leave your Bluetooth speaker at home and let nature’s sound reign.
- Urinate off-trail, and pack out your waste – a cathole won’t work at high altitude.
- Give wildlife a wide berth – 100 meters if possible. If they approach, back up to keep space.
- Take nothing but pictures, and leave nothing but footprints.
Safe travels, and good luck hiking Mount Audubon! Learn more about LNT on 14ers here.
Mount Audubon rises to 13,223 feet in the Indian Peaks Wilderness of Boulder County, about 5.6 miles west-northwest of the town of Ward. The mountain is named for John James Audubon, the 19th-century naturalist and painter best known for his illustrated book The Birds of America.
The Indian Peaks Wilderness protects a stretch of the Continental Divide just south of Rocky Mountain National Park. Wilderness rules apply on this hike: groups are limited to 12 people, and dogs must be on a leash. From Audubon’s broad summit you can see across much of the range.
Hiking Mount Audubon is an inherently high-risk activity – do so at your own risk, and use the following best practices to help keep yourself safe.
- Research your route and bring a compass & topographic map.
- Check the weather forecast and stay home during inclement weather.
- Bring the Ten Essentials and the knowledge/skill to use them.
- Leave your plans with someone back home along with a detailed itinerary.
- Start early, and end early: Be back at tree line by noon to avoid lightning.
- Bring a buddy on your first ascent, preferably someone experienced.
NEW TO 14ERS? CHECK OUT MY BEGINNERS GUIDE FOR A SAFE FIRST SUMMIT!
Hiking Mount Audubon is an inherently high-risk, dangerous activity. There is a significant risk of injury or death, even with proper planning and experience. Those using my guide accept all risks associated with climbing 14ers and do not hold this website or any information they obtain from it liable for any accidents or injuries that occur while engaging in these activities on Colorado’s high peaks. It is each hiker or climber’s responsibility to research their route carefully, bring the ten essentials, and practice other safe practices, though even these precautions do not eliminate risk and danger.
Visit these summits at your own risk.
