Colorado 14er hiking traffic up slightly
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Colorado's 14,000-foot peaks saw 265,000 hikers in 2024, a 1.9% increase in traffic, a new report estimates.
Why it matters: The slight incline represents an "equilibrium," officials told the Colorado Sun, and a sustainable pace that keeps the 55 peaks from being overcrowded.
What they're saying: "We have an awful lot of people out there hiking 14ers, but we are not overwhelmed by it," said Lloyd Athearn at the Colorado Fourteeners Initiative, which tracks hiker traffic.
Driving the news: The reopening of the Decalibron Loop connecting four 14ers and higher estimates for hiking Mount Blue Sky propelled the hiker traffic numbers upward and offset declines at other popular peaks, such as Grays and Torreys.
By the numbers: The most popular 14ers remained Mount Bierstadt and Quandary Peak, with each attracting 25,000 or more hikers in 2024, according to estimates based on trail counters.
- 54% of the hikers climbed the 12 closest 14ers to the Denver metro area.
The other side: Compared to 2023, the Sawatch, Sangre de Cristo Range and Tenmile Range saw decreases in hikers.
The bottom line: The number of hikers last year remains far below the 2020 pandemic rate, when 415,000 hikers climbed the peaks.