Front Range Range · Colorado 13er · No. 470 of the 13ers
North Ridge from Isolation Peak
Ogalalla Peak, 13,154'
DifficultyClass 2+
Round trip20.6 mi
Elevation gain6,175'
TrailheadWild Basin (Rocky Mountain National Park)
Trailhead elevation8,500'
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 · North Ridge from Isolation Peak
Overview
Ogalalla Peak is the southernmost 13er of Rocky Mountain National Park, sitting right on the park boundary. The usual loop from a camp near Bluebird Lake climbs Isolation Peak, walks almost 3 miles south along a broad tundra ridge to Ogalalla, and comes back down over Cony Pass and past Junco Lake.
The ridge is Class 1 to easy Class 2 after a narrower section near Isolation. The descent to Cony Pass is steep, loose Class 2+.
The whole trip from the trailhead is about 20.6 miles with 6,175 feet of gain; from the Upper Ouzel campsite it is about 8.6 miles and 3,975 feet. The ridge takes about an hour and a half each way between the two peaks.
Plan of the day
Start by
By 5:30 a.m. from a camp near Bluebird Lake.
Turnaround
Be on Isolation by 10 a.m.
Crux
The steep, loose gully down to Cony Pass.
Route-finding
Moderate. From Ogalalla, head north toward Cony Pass. Two cairns mark two gullies on the north side; the eastern one worked, with care.
Water
North St. Vrain Creek, Ouzel Creek and the lakes. Filter it.
From Lyons, take Colorado 7 to Allenspark and continue about 2.4 miles north to the signed Wild Basin turnoff on the left (from Estes Park, drive south on Colorado 7). Follow County Road 84 west, then turn right onto the Wild Basin road, which turns to gravel at the entrance station and the Sandbeach Lake trailhead.
Continue past Copeland Lake about 2 more miles to the Wild Basin trailhead lot, with a ranger station and toilets. It fills on weekends; arrive early or carpool.
There's no camping at the trailhead. Olive Ridge Campground (between Allenspark and the turnoff) and Meeker Park are the nearest. Backcountry campsites need a park permit, often booked months ahead. 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.
Wild Basin (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 treesTundraRidgeExposed 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
Wild Basin trailhead 8,500' · 0 mi
Walk the busy Wild Basin Trail west, keeping North St. Vrain Creek on your left, past Copeland Falls.
2
Calypso Falls 8,900' · 1.9 mi
At 1.5 miles, go left for about 0.4 mile to Calypso Falls and join the trail heading west.
3
Ouzel Falls 9,400' · 2.8 mi
Continue west to Ouzel Falls.
4
Bluebird Lake trail 9,500' · 3.2 mi
At the following junction, go left for Ouzel and Bluebird lakes, zigzagging up to a wide, open ridge.
5
Ouzel Lake turnoff 10,000' · 4.6 mi
Pass the turnoff for Ouzel Lake. Copeland Mountain's steep north side fills the view across the valley.
6
Upper Ouzel campsite 10,600' · 6 mi
The trail climbs gently, then more steeply near the end, to the signed turnoff for the Upper Ouzel backcountry campsite.
7
Bluebird Lake 10,980' · 6.4 mi
Climb about 0.4 mile more to the lake.
8
Pipit Lake 11,420' · 7.6 mi
Walk up the valley on the north side, past Lark Pond and Pipit Lake.
9
Isolation Peak 13,114' · 8.8 mi
Swing north to Isolation Lake and walk up the slopes west to the summit.
10
Ridge south 12,600' · 9.5 mi
Head south past the saddle and a narrower Class 2 section, then out onto a huge tundra ridge. You can skip or tag unranked Ouzel Peak.
11
Summit 13,154' · 11.8 mi
Walk easy tundra and embedded rock to Ogalalla's top, with views of Copeland and Elk Tooth.
Getting down
Head north to Cony Pass, dropping carefully down the eastern of two cairned gullies on steep, loose ground, then contour to the pass. Descend steep talus to Junco Lake, then follow the valley east, staying on the ridge north of the creek, down to Bluebird Lake. Cliffs on the lake's south shore push you around the north side.
If things go wrong
From the ridge, return north to Isolation and back down the valley.
3D flyover
No 3D flyover for this peak
Past Bluebird Lake the route is trailless. 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 Ogalalla Peak we list, with its class.
Ogalalla Peak North Ridgethis routeClass 2+ 20.6 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.