Northeast Ridge
Castle Peak · 14,272' · Rank #10
Class 2 Standard Route
13.5
miles RT
4,600
ft gain
Class 2
difficulty
7-10
hours
Trail Map
No trail data yet
Be the first to contribute a GPS trace for this route.
Log in to upload a GPX file.
Route Details
- Distance
- 13.5 miles RT
- Elevation Gain
- 4,600'
- Difficulty
- Class 2
- Exposure
- Moderate
- Typical Time
- 7-10 hours
Trailhead
- Name
- Castle Creek Trailhead
- Starting Elevation
- 9,800'
- Coordinates
- 39.0322°N, 106.8117°W
Parking & Access
- Parking
- Dispersed 20-50 spots
- Fee
- Free
- If Lot is Full
- Free camping spots along first 1.25 miles of FR 102
No Service
Dispersed camping and pulloffs along FR 102. Creek crossing at 1.3 miles challenging in spring. 4WD can reach 12,800 ft.
Route Description
The standard route passes the historic ghost town of Montezuma before climbing through Conundrum Creek drainage. The northwest ridge offers Class 2 scrambling to the summit. The Castle-Conundrum traverse is a popular extension.
Gear & Preparation
The road to the trailhead is rough but usually 2WD accessible. Start early for the long day. The ghost town of Ashcroft is worth a visit.