Directions:

From Hwy 285 at Grant, turn north onto Guanella Pass Road. The Abyss/Burning Bear Trailhead is 5 ¼ miles up the road. This is a very busy trailhead, especially in peak aspen season of mid-September to mid-October. There is a large parking lot but it fills quickly. There is also designated road-side parking north and south of the trailhead but this will add a little distance to your hike (worth it btw…). Be carefull parking on the road, signs say to make sure your tires are off the road, and from what I’ve heard, they do tow cars in peak aspen season. Good luck!

Hike Description:

When researching the best fall color hikes in the Front Range, the Abyss Trail repeatedly comes up on lists. I’ve known this for a long time but have slept on this trail year after year, mainly because it is 16 miles (roundtrip) to Abyss Lake and I hate to only partially hike a trail. However, this year, I was looking for something close to home yet still new (to me) and full of fall color. I decided to put my obsessiveness aside and finally check out the Abyss Trail with the goal of hiking to the junction with the Rosalie Trail (about 4 miles in). I was not disappointed, this trail is amazing and yes, it’s now on my list of the best fall colors hikes in the Front Range.

The Abyss Trail is very popular and popular means busy. If you try to hike this trail during peak season (mid-Sept to mid-Oct) on the weekends, you’d better get there by 5:00AM and have a backup plan as parking is a limited commodity. I was lucky enough to be able to hike on a Monday and it was still incredibly busy. I got lucky and found a spot along the road just south of the parking lot.

I generally don’t like hiking with crowds of people and although the trail was busy, it wasn’t too congested except at a couple of key spots. It’s interesting to me that this trail is so popular as the fall colors don’t really pop until the iconic viewpoint at the 2 mile mark.  Prior to that, the trail cuts through pine forest with the occasional aspen tree and a few nice groves as you approach 2 miles. This trail makes you work for the reward. 

At the 2 mile mark, you cross Scott Gomer Creek and the view opens up. It’s an amazing moment. The hillsides of Geneva Mountain are covered in a blanket of aspen trees glowing yellow and orange with the impressive granite ramparts towering overhead. Many people stop hiking at this spot and the shores of the creek are full of hikers relaxing and kids playing in the creek. It’s an idyllic spot but don’t stop there, the fun is just beginning.

The next mile of the trail has more impressive views of the Geneva Mt. slopes and also has the immersive aspen grove experience that makes fall hiking so special. At about 3 miles, you’ll arrive at another busy spot in the trail and another destination for many hikers. A narrow log bridge crosses the creek at a paradise of rushing water and glowing aspens. It takes hikers some time to cross the bridge so this spot acts as a bit of a choke point in the trail. Again, a beautiful spot, but keep going.

The next mile or so of the trail continues the scenic beauty. The trail climbs through a narrow rocky scar across the hillsides with abundant young aspens. To the right, the hillside falls away to a deep gorge. I highly recommend popping off the trail from time to time for views up and down the valley. The trail gets a bit steeper and rougher here, but still nothing too taxing. You’ll also cross through some impressive groves and you’ll start to get some views of Mt. Bierstadt towering in the distance.

At 3.8 miles, the landscape opens up to an incredible meadow. The flowing creek, scenic ponds, and big views of the surrounding mountains, all containing colorful aspen groves makes this the most scenic part of this hike aside from the first view mount of Geneva Mountain. This is the spot that you’ll want to take some time to relax in, this is a worthy destination. However, if you still want some more, you can keep going. It’s only a quarter mile or so to the junction with the Rosalie Trail. There are nice views of Mt. Bierstadt and some campsites with nice views looking back down the valley that you just hiked up. It’s a nice addition but not quite as scenic as the meadow. 

Up to this point, the hike is amazing and satisfying…but…for the truly intrepid day hiker, or backpacker, the journey can continue to Helm Lake (6 miles one-way from the trailhead) or all the way to Abyss Lake (8 miles one-way from the trailhead). Abyss Lake is on my to-do list for backpacking, but it’s a pretty long to-do list. For now, I am more than satisfied having hiked the first 4.5 miles of the Abyss Trail in peak aspen season, spectacular!