Front Range Range · Colorado 13er · No. 145 of the 13ers
Watrous Gulch from Herman Gulch Trailhead
Mount Parnassus, 13,580'
DifficultyClass 2
Round trip7 mi
Elevation gain3,275'
TrailheadHerman Gulch
Trailhead elevation10,310'
Conditions on the summit
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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 · Watrous Gulch from Herman Gulch Trailhead
Overview
Mount Parnassus is an easy Front Range 13er right off I-70 near the Eisenhower Tunnel. From the Herman Gulch trailhead, the Watrous Gulch Trail climbs to the saddle between Woods Mountain and Parnassus, and you finish up about 1,100 feet of chip rock.
It is Class 2, on trail nearly to the saddle.
The round trip is about 7 miles with 3,275 feet of gain. Most people continue about a mile east to Bard Peak.
Plan of the day
Start by
By 6:30 a.m.; the lot fills early.
Turnaround
Be at the saddle by 10 a.m.
Crux
Loose chip rock above the saddle.
Route-finding
Easy. Take the right fork at the junction near 11,485 feet.
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.
Getting down
Return the same way, or continue to Bard Peak.
If things go wrong
The trail is the way down.
3D flyover
No 3D flyover yet
We haven’t built one for this route.
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.
Other routes
Every way up Mount Parnassus we list, with its class.
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.