deer mountain

1 - if you're there in March. There will be a ton of snow. Wear sensible shoes. And even those slide of treks. 2 - the summit is further than you expect but very satisfying. I'll say that I enjoyed the views from "shortly" before the summit much more than the actual summit. 3 - the staff of the park definitely have a different opinion on a casual hike than my sister and I do, but I'm so glad we did it. 4 - we goofed around on the way up. It took us 2.5 hours. The way down was just over an hour. 5 - it was a great hike. I do recommend it.

6 mile in and out. Great views. Lots of switchbacks so the 1100 ft elevation gain is no problem. We did it in January and with YaxTrax was easy due to southern exposure. Good parking, clear trailhead, and the hike begins near the Estes Park entrances.

We were still getting used to the altitude so took it quite slow on the way up. Went 2 hours without hitting summit, then turned around when 2 deer were in the path of the trail. great views at various places on the way up.

We hiked this trail by using only the map given us at the RMNP visitor's center and we almost turned back too early thinking we'd made it to the top. The trail follows a ridge for a while and you have some beautiful views but then it turned in and started heading down...for quite a while. We assumed we must've hit the peak and were a bit disappointed at the lack of "wow factor". Fortunately another hiker was not too far behind us and showed us his topo map. About 15 minutes later we came to a sign pointing to the summit and YES! There is an awesome view! In one direction you can see the town of Estes Park, from the other sides- beautiful mountain views. Heard elk bugling on our hike up but did not see any wildlife but chipmunks. We left the trailhead by 8:00am and were the first ones at the summit along with one other person (thankfully for us, he was there!). This was great because as we hiked down between 10:30 and noon we passed about 50 hikers throughout the trail on their way up. We chose to hike back the same way we came up but there is a longer loop option also. Just get a good map before you take it :)

We love the Rocky Mountain National park and took this hike in August 2014. It's a not too steep 3 mile hike to the top. While this hike is easy, comfortable and beautiful it not as good as some other hikes of similar difficulty. Would recommend Beaver Meadow loop over this one.

This is one of the easier mountains to summit in RMNP. There's not much parking at the trailhead, so get there early. It's not as crowded as the trails off Bear and Glacier Gorge. The trail switchbacks up the mountain and there are spots to take a break and take in the view of Beaver Meadows, the Mummy Range, RMNP. After a short staircase, when you summit you will be rewarded with 360 degree views of RMNP and Estes Park. If you have two cars, you can come down the backside of the mountain and walk into Estes Park. This trail is rarely taken and in July the wildflowers were everywhere.

I did the summit hike early to avoid the crowds, the Trail Ridge road parking is limited, so get there early, but after the summit the north and south Deer mountain trails are very deserted. Not too many people make an effort to do the loop, and this year the wildflowers were gorgeous! A hike worth doing, about 10 miles total, all alone in the woods that morning!

This hike took us a little more than 2 hours to complete. It is one of the first things you come across if you enter through the Beaver Meadows entrance. Upon reaching the summit after climbing a rock staircase, you'll be treated to sheer rock faces with views of Beaver Meadows entrance at over 10,000' above sea level. Friendly chipmunks quickly came right up to us after hearing the familiar sound of granola bar wrappers and were eager to eat any crumbs we dropped.

My boyfriend and I hiked this on the 4th of July and had an excellent experience. It is rated on Protrails as Moderate but for us I would call it moderate-strenuous. We were confused when we got to the part of the trail that sends you down hill for a long time but it did eventually lead back up to the summit. Incredible views from all angles from the summit. Bring plenty of water and lots of sunscreen! We made it to the top in an hour and a half which was impressive for us. Have fun!

They say it was a 3 mile climb up and then 3 down. I felt it was a bit more than that but who would not with little kids hiking with you? All of us did the climb in about 5 hours all totalled. We had packed our lunch and ate it at the summit. The switchbacks were spots for amazing views and plenty of nice spots to stop and rest on rocks and such. It was a bit confusing near to the summit as you need to climb a stone stair up (which got a bit steep at times) and the only sign pointed otherwise toward Estes Park. I was in total awe of the amazing views along the way and the top of the mountain. It was a slow and steady climb that even my 4 year old did on his own. Going back down, we continued our slow descent and had snack breaks. Would highly receomend to all who are going that want a pleasant beginning climb,

The hike wasnt not too difficult. On our way up we saw some deer and other wild life. The trails never got too steep and there were many places to stop on the way up with great views of the mountains all around. Once at the top it was a beautiful 360 view of the mountains looking down on Estes Park. Definitely would recommend it to any level of hiker.

We started early for this one. We reached about 1.5 miles on the trail we had to put our cleats on, it was snow the rest of the way. The last .5 miles were the most challenging since we were post holing in some areas. We brought our jet boil with us and enjoyed hot chocolate when we got to the top. This is located in RMNP so you will have to pay the 7 day fee of $20.00 or $40.00 for a season pass.

Outstanding. 3 miles up and 3 miles down, or thereabouts. Went early may, still snow on the ground on a lot of the trail, just made it more interesting. The view at the top is amazing, so don't settle for almost made it. Enjoy all that HE has made for us.

Deer Mountain is a GREAT shorter summit hike with incredible views at almost any point on the trail. I have been up Deer Mountain many times, and never tire of this special little hike. It is a great hike to acclimate to the altitude before tackling longer, more difficult hikes. I will preface his review by saying I like summit hikes. Period. I will hike to a mountain lake (see Cub lake trail), or a small waterfalls (see Alberta Falls trail), but for me, nothing compares to the sense of accomplishment of reaching the top of a mountain (no matter how tall) and the rewards of incredible panoramic views. And Deer Mountain fits the bill. The main trail head is located in RMNP at Deer Ridge Junction. Elevation starts at approximately 9,000 feet with the summit at approximately 10,000 feet. If you are used to the altitude and in good shape, you can make the 3.1 miles to the summit in under an hour (my best is 55minutes, but I have seen local hikers in their 20's who run all the way up and down, which, being a flatlander, I can not do). But for those not used to the altitude, allow 2-2.5 hours to the top, with many rest stops on the way. And you will want to stop often just to enjoy the views! The trail traverses back and forth along the west side of the mountain, so you go from incredible views of Long's peak and Moraine Park on one end of a traverse to great views of the Mummy range and Horseshoe park on the end of the traverse. Then the trail will hairpin back across the west side to even better views at a slightly higher altitude. This trail allows you stop at almost any point of the trail for beautiful views, unlike many summit trails which you require you to hike for long distances through the forest with no views at all until you near the summit (see Twin Sisters, a long and fairly strenuous, hike with very limited views for most of the trip). About 3/4's of the way up, you will hit a flat area that meanders through the forest. You are about 15-30 minutes from the top at this point (depending on your speed). An easy ten minute walk along this fairly flat area allows you to rest up for the final climb to the summit. The final stretch is the toughest (isn't it always), up rock steps for about 5-15 min. that will challenge you. But don't give up. It is not far to the top, and the reward is worth it. The summit provides a stunning panoramic view of the Estes valley and the east side of Rocky Mountain National Park. You can see from the Stanley Hotel in Estes, Lake Estes, Twin Sisters, Longs Peak, the YMCA of the Rockies, Beaver Meadows, Moraine Park, Halletts Peak, Trail Ridge road, Horseshoe Park to the Mummy Range, a nearly 360 degree view. Be aware it is nearly always windy at the top. a windbreaker might be handy. And watch for storm clouds, which build very quickly in the mountains.The trip down is fairly easy, and quicker, from 30 minutes to 1.5 hrs., again depending on your speed.All in all a great shorter summit hike that will reward you with incredible views nearly every step of the way.

This is a wonderful trail. Lots of places for pictures on the way up of the mountain ranges. NOTE: When you think you get top the top it flattens out a bit and even seems to go down hill, keep walking. Trust me you will know when you at the top. A couple, in front of us turned around and didn't even see the top.If you have a headlamp or flashlight you can walk the trail before sunrise and watch the sun come up over the mountains.