Front Range Range · Colorado 13er · No. 158 of the 13ers
Southwest Ridge via The Saddle
Hagues Peak, 13,565'
A few Class 4 moves near the summit
Hagues Peak is mostly Class 2 and 3, but the last 150 feet need a few short Class 4 moves. The southwest side drops off in big cliffs; approach the summit from the south or southeast so the moves aren't exposed.
DifficultyClass 4
Round trip18.1 mi
Elevation gain5,300'
TrailheadLawn Lake (Rocky Mountain National Park)
Trailhead elevation8,525'
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 · Southwest Ridge via The Saddle
Overview
Hagues Peak is the highest point of the Mummy Range in Rocky Mountain National Park. From the Lawn Lake trailhead, you follow the Roaring River to Lawn Lake, climb to the saddle between Fairchild Mountain and Hagues, and head north up the ridge to the summit.
The trail is easy for 9 miles. Above the saddle it is Class 2 to about 13,000 feet, Class 3 above 13,250 feet, and a few Class 4 moves at the top.
The round trip is about 18.1 miles with about 5,300 feet of gain. Mileage and gain are our estimates. Many people camp at Lawn Lake (park permit required).
Plan of the day
Start by
By 4:30 a.m.
Turnaround
Be at The Saddle by 10 a.m.
Crux
The last 150 feet of Class 3 and brief Class 4 rock.
Route-finding
Moderate. From The Saddle, head north staying inside the big west-facing cliffs. Near the top, approach from the south or southeast; if it looks too hard, move right (northeast) to find a weakness.
From Estes Park, follow Highway 34 into Rocky Mountain National Park at its Fall River entrance. Drive about 2 miles past the entrance, past the bighorn sheep viewing area, and turn right as if for Old Fall River Road, then right again into the Lawn Lake trailhead lot.
The park charges an entry fee and may require a timed-entry reservation in summer. Dogs aren't allowed on trails. Check the park website.
Lawn Lake (Rocky Mountain National Park). Road conditions near the trailhead change after storms. Check your clearance and have a backup plan for a lower lot.
Trail in the treesRidgeScramblingExposed 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
Lawn Lake trailhead 8,525' · 0 mi
Climb about 500 feet on easy trail west around Bighorn Mountain.
2
Roaring River 9,000' · 1 mi
Turn north along the Roaring River, still scarred by the 1982 Lawn Lake dam failure. Stay right at the Ypsilon Lake junction at 1.45 miles.
3
Black Canyon junction 10,500' · 6 mi
Easy trail climbs gradually for miles past campsites. Hagues comes into view around 5.3 miles. Stay on the Lawn Lake Trail.
4
Lawn Lake 11,000' · 6.5 mi
Near the lake the trail splits for campsites. Go left through light forest between the lake and Mummy Mountain.
5
Toward The Saddle 11,300' · 8 mi
Above treeline, go right at the sign for The Saddle. Cross a drainage that can hold snow into July.
6
The Saddle 12,300' · 9.1 mi
Climb to the saddle between Fairchild and Hagues. Cairns mark the crossing. Turn north.
7
Class 3 rock 13,250' · 9.8 mi
Head up toward the summit, staying well inside the big cliffs on the west. Meadows turn to rocks; it becomes Class 3 by about 13,250 feet.
8
Summit 13,560' · 10.1 mi
Pick a line up the final 150 feet, mostly Class 3 with a few Class 4 moves. Approach from the south or southeast to avoid the exposed southwest side.
Watch for: Sheer cliffs on the southwest side.
Getting down
The easier way down is east along the ridge toward Mummy Mountain, staying just left of the crest, to the Hagues-Mummy saddle near 13,400 feet. Head toward Mummy to about 13,200 feet, then toward Lawn Lake to about 12,875 feet, then toward Crystal Lake to rejoin the trail, and turn left for the trailhead.
If things go wrong
The Saddle has a good trail back down.
3D flyover
No 3D flyover for this peak
Above The Saddle there is no trail. 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.
Other routes
Every way up Hagues Peak we list, with its class.
Hagues via the saddlethis routeClass 4 18.1 mi
Hagues Peak SW Ridge from The SaddleClass 2+ 15.6 mi
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.