Mt. Princeton

Mount Princeton is a stately peak visible from almost all of the Arkansas Valley from Buena Vista to Salida. The Mount Princeton Trail is relatively straightforward but a lot depends on your vehicle and parking spaces (see trailhead info below). This route begins at the ‘radio towers’ a standard 4 wheel drive parking area at ~10,800 feet.

Leaving the ‘radio towers’ area you stay on the road for ~1.6 miles (and 1,000 feet of gain) until the proper Mount Princeton Trail leaves the road on the right as you break treeline. Be watching as it is easy to walk past and continue along the road.

Once the trail leaves the road its a steep 1.25 mile hike across rocky slopes to the saddle of Mount Princeton. This area can hold snow later than the rest of the trail so be aware of current conditions.

From the saddle, you turn right and generally stay on or just to the right of the rocky ridge as you ascend, sometimes steeply. If you follow the trail remnants and cairns, this stays a class 2 route.

Class: 2. Most of the Mount Princeton trail is rocky with some well-maintained trail sections mixed in. The trail never exceeds class 2 but there are more rocky/class 2 sections than most other peaks in the Sawtach range. As noted some or most of the route, depending on your vehicle/parking is on a dirt road.

Trailhead/Parking: As noted above, this route begins at the radio towers but there are several other starting options. There is a 2 wheel drive parking lot at the bottom of the road and a small area for 5-6 cars with 4 wheel drive near near where the trail breaks off from the road. The road is narrow so be aware the farther you go up, pull offs for oncoming traffic can be difficult.

The stats for the hike are:

Parking at 2 wheel drive lot: ~13.25 miles rt, 5,400 ft elevation gain

Parking at radio towers: 7.2 miles rt, 3,400 ft elevation gain

Parking near trail turn off: 6.5 miles rt, 3.200 ft elevation gain