Front Range Range · Colorado 13er · No. 121 of the 13ers
West Ridge from Mount Parnassus
Bard Peak, 13,641'
DifficultyClass 2
Round trip9.2 mi
Elevation gain4,420'
TrailheadHerman Gulch
Trailhead elevation10,310'
Conditions on the summit
LoadingFetching the forecast for 13,641'…
—Summit temp now
—Sustained wind
—Gusting to
—Freezing level
Today
—
Tomorrow
—
Day three
—
Afternoon storm risk is the line that matters. Everything else is comfort. In summer, plan to be off the ridge before the build-up starts, not as it starts. Forecast for the summit point, adjusted for its elevation · data from Open-Meteo.
Colorado 13er · West Ridge from Mount Parnassus
Overview
Bard Peak sits a mile east of Mount Parnassus above I-70. You climb Parnassus by the Watrous Gulch Trail, then walk the connecting ridge east, dropping about 500 feet and climbing 600 feet to Bard.
It is Class 2 on tundra, chip rock and some talus.
The round trip back over Parnassus is about 9.2 miles with 4,420 feet of gain. Strong hikers can add Engelmann Peak to the north, about 4 more miles and 1,600 more feet.
Plan of the day
Start by
By 6 a.m.
Turnaround
Be on Parnassus by 10 a.m.
Crux
Nothing hard; the climb back up Parnassus on the way out.
Take I-70 exit 218, about 3 miles past the Bakerville exit heading west, and park in the Herman Gulch lot on the north side. It is very busy on weekends, so arrive early. There is no water and usually just portable toilets. The Herman Gulch and Watrous Gulch trails share the first few minutes.
Trail in the treesRidgeTalus and screeExposed to lightning
The line is elevation, the band underneath is the ground, and the numbered dots match the steps below. Mileage and elevations are approximate.
1
Herman Gulch trailhead 10,310' · 0 mi
Start up the shared trail and, after about five minutes, turn right onto the signed Watrous Gulch Trail.
2
Watrous Gulch 11,000' · 1.25 mi
The trail climbs steadily into Watrous Gulch, out of the forest into avalanche debris and open tundra. The highway noise fades.
3
Bard Creek junction 11,200' · 1.4 mi
Cross the stream to a signed junction with the Bard Creek Trail. There's a log lean-to nearby.
Watch for: A side trail to the right soon after may lead into avalanche debris; skip it.
4
Upper junction 11,485' · 1.9 mi
About 20 minutes later, take the right fork, cross a small stream and pass a campsite.
5
Woods-Parnassus saddle 12,480' · 2.8 mi
Follow the trail all the way to the saddle. Woods Mountain is a quick side trip.
6
Mount Parnassus 13,580' · 3.5 mi
Turn right and climb about 1,100 feet as tundra gives way to more and more loose chip rock.
7
Parnassus-Bard saddle 13,050' · 4 mi
Walk east along the connecting ridge, losing a little over 500 feet.
8
Summit 13,641' · 4.6 mi
Climb about 600 feet on tundra, chip rock and talus to Bard's summit.
Getting down
The easiest way back is over Parnassus. You can also head south toward the Bakerville exit, picking up the Bard Creek Trail back to the Watrous trail, but missing it means a nasty bushwhack; and ending at Bakerville means a car shuttle.
If things go wrong
Go back to Parnassus and down the trail.
3D flyover
No 3D flyover for this peak
Past Mount Parnassus the route follows a trailless ridge. A flyover only works when there is a set trail to trace. Without one, the line would be a guess, and a guess could send you the wrong way on the mountain. Use the step-by-step route with a good map and GPS track instead.
See the trail on video
No video yet
We haven’t found a good video of this route that matches the way we describe it. The route strip, junctions and 3D flyover show the way in the meantime.
This describes the route on a dry summer day. Most 13ers see few people, so there may be no one along behind you. Check recent conditions the week you go, carry a map, tell someone your plan, and turn around when the day tells you to.