Horsetooth Rock Hike

We wanted to get out for one more camping trip before Sierra heads back to school on Wednesday. However, the forecast called for a very high chance of rain this evening. Since the forecast for the day looked good, we decided to head down to Fort Collins for a hike of the famous Horsetooth Rock, a distinctive rock formation that sits on a prominent perch overlooking the city. 

It was busy out on the Horsetooth Reservoir, and I worried that we would not be able to snag a parking spot at the trailhead parking lot at Horsetooth Mountain Open Space. Luckily, there were still a handful of spots available when we arrived just before 10 a.m. 

After paying the parking fee and applying sunblock, we hit the trail. The trail was mostly in the open and so Sierra took full advantage of the scattered shady spots along the way, especially if there was a rock to sit on. 

As we climbed higher on the Horsetooth Rock Trail, a few views opened up out over the reservoir and city.

As we approached the final stretch of the trail, the going got a bit more difficult,

especially the section of trail after we caught our first glimpse of the iconic rock.

The final section of the route was a class 3 scramble up to the summit itself.

Sierra did a great job navigating the scramble and soon enough we were on the summit!

After a break and a snack, we started to make our way down.

To change things up a bit, we opted to take the Audra Culver and South Ridge Trails back to the car. The Audra Culver Trail was pretty scenic, and offered views of the high peaks to the west.

The South Ridge Trail was more of a road, and while not as scenic, it offered a pretty quick way to descend back to the car.

After we had changed into our sandals, we were hungry and thirsty. We headed for a late lunch at Music City Hot Chicken. Then, Noelle and I got some beers at Stodgy Brewing. We got ice cream at Glacier, and then made the drive home.