Fine views, pleasant hiking and a picnic on top make this trip a hiking favorite on the east side of the park. The trail begins at the Deer Mountain Trailhead along Highway 36, west of the Beaver Meadows Entrance Station, near the junction with Highway 34. It leads to the top of Deer Mountain at 10,013 feet. The route up Deer Mountain begins in a stand of mature ponderosa pines and winds upward past lodgepole pine, aspen and limber pine to the summit plateau, which offers a spectacular view of the Continental Divide.

In the winter, while the lower trail generally has little snow, you can expect packed and drifted snow on the switchbacks. Snow cover on the summit may be three to five feet deep, making skis or snowshoes necessary for safe travel.

Directions: From Estes Park, Follow Hwy 36 west past the Beaver Mountain Entrance Station to the Deer Mountain Trailhead, near the junction of Hwy 36 and 34.

Elevation: 8,938 feet

Ending Elevation: 10,013 feet

Elevation Gain: 1,075 feet

Distance: 3.0 miles

Difficulty: Moderate/Strenuous

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