Mount Nystrom Trail

Mount Nystrom Trail is a Colorado alpine hiking route in the Vasquez Peak Wilderness with the Continental Divide Trail passing through it. The climb reaches Mount Nystrom at 12,652 feet, with the highest section managed as high-elevation terrain (from about 11,025 to 12,667 feet).

Most hikers do it as an out-and-back from either Berthoud Pass West Trailhead or Jones Pass Trailhead, typically aiming for the Mount Nystrom summit. Route length is commonly described in the ~9.4 to 13.4 miles round-trip range, with about 2,100 feet of total elevation gain.

A big part of the character is exposure: the route stays mostly above treeline and follows the narrow ridge line, so there’s little visual shelter from wind or weather. The singletrack runs along the edge of the Vasquez Peak Wilderness after leaving the initial segment.

Near the top, the trail also passes Stanley Mountain (12,521 feet). If you’re traveling the Continental Divide Trail portion, you’re generally moving along the same high ridge corridor as you approach and then return from Mount Nystrom.

The route is signed as Forest Trail #13 (ref. FS 13). The beginning of the Mt. Nystrom Trail (#13) starts as an old road through the Fraser Experimental Forest for 5.5 miles before transitioning to the single-track trail that follows the wilderness edge.

Weather risk is the main planning constraint: because you’re fully above treeline, conditions can change quickly. Summer lightning/thunderstorms are a recurring hazard, so starting early is a consistent theme in trip guidance.

Management and land context matter for logistics. The trail sits on the Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests & Pawnee National Grassland side and is described as accessible from the Continental Divide Trail, with the route running through/near the Vasquez Peak Wilderness corridor.

There’s a recurring note on pet access: dogs are allowed on the trail when leashed.

More information: Visitor information, A Guide to the Mount Nystrom Trail - 10 Adventures, Hiking – Mount Nystrom Trail (west) via Stanley CDT Spur