ReckonTrails Open the map

Colorado trails · Mount Sopris Trail

Mount Sopris Trail

A 6.7-mile out-and-back in Colorado, with 4,264 ft of climbing, topping out at 12,901 ft. Reaches Thomas Lakes and other lake/summit destinations. Managed by USFS Aspen-Sopris Ranger District.

Open in the interactive map →

Length
6.7 mi
Elevation gain
4,264 ft
Highest point
12,901 ft
Difficulty
Expert
Max grade
58%
Steepest mile
+1,666 ft
Tread at ≥10% grade
3.5 mi
Shape
out-and-back
Surface
dirt
Dogs
yes
Bikes
yes
Horses
yes
Managed by
USFS Aspen-Sopris Ranger District

Elevation profile

8,638 – 12,920 ft123456

Most of the climbing sits in the final third — 58% of the ascent, between mile 4.5 and mile 6.7. It climbs almost continuously, with little descent to recover on.

3-D terrain

3-D terrain view of Mount Sopris Trail

USGS 3DEP ELEVATION × ESRI WORLD IMAGERY · VERTICAL ×1.5

Reaches

Heads up

Stream ford: expect at least one unbridged crossing.

Getting there

Thomas Lakes Trailhead — parking nearby, restroom. About 56 min drive (27 mi, 3 of them unpaved) from Aspen. 39.30399, -107.12468 · directions

Daylight at the trailhead

On October 14, 2026 — the day this page was generated — first light reaches this trailhead at 6:50 a.m., the sun rises at 7:17 a.m. and sets at 6:31 p.m., and the last usable light fades about 6:58 p.m. (MDT) — 11 h 14 min of daylight. At about 2.7 mph plus 30 minutes per 1,000 feet of climbing, the 13.4-mile round trip takes roughly 9 h 14 min, so leaving the trailhead at sunrise puts you back around 4:30 p.m. — 2 h 01 min before sunset.

Nearby trails