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Colorado trails · North Inlet-Flattop Junction Trail

North Inlet-Flattop Junction Trail

A 12.1-mile out-and-back in Colorado, with 3,753 ft of climbing, topping out at 12,223 ft. Reaches Cascade Falls. Managed by Rocky Mountain National Park.

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Length
12.1 mi
Elevation gain
3,753 ft
Highest point
12,223 ft
Difficulty
Expert
Max grade
24%
Steepest mile
+833 ft
Tread at ≥10% grade
3.1 mi
Shape
out-and-back
Surface
dirt
Dogs
no
Bikes
no
Horses
yes
Managed by
Rocky Mountain National Park

Elevation profile

8,472 – 12,184 ft123456789101112

The climbing leans toward the final third: 54% of the ascent falls between mile 8.0 and mile 12.1. It climbs almost continuously, with little descent to recover on.

3-D terrain

3-D terrain view of North Inlet-Flattop Junction Trail

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

Reaches

Heads up

Stream ford: expect at least one unbridged crossing.
Terrain graded T2 (SAC scale).

Getting there

North Inlet Trailhead — parking nearby, restroom, fee site. About 1 h 37 min drive (46 mi) from Estes Park. 40.25653, -105.81464 · directions

Daylight at the trailhead

On October 14, 2026 — the day this page was generated — first light reaches this trailhead at 6:45 a.m., the sun rises at 7:12 a.m. and sets at 6:25 p.m., and the last usable light fades about 6:52 p.m. (MDT) — 11 h 12 min of daylight. At about 2.7 mph plus 30 minutes per 1,000 feet of climbing, the 24.1-mile round trip works out to roughly 12 h 41 min of walking — more than a single day of daylight here, so plan it as an overnight or hike it in sections.

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