Barr Trail

Barr Trail (#620) is a Pike National Forest trail, run by the Forest Service’s Pikes Peak Ranger District, that starts off Ruxton Avenue above the Cog Railway depot and climbs to the summit of Pikes Peak. Fred Barr built it between 1914 and 1921. It passes through montane, spruce-fir and alpine zones, and the Forest Service estimates that more than 150,000 people a year climb the peak on it. It is a foot and horse trail, open year-round, rated more difficult for its long sustained grade at high elevation. The Forest Service says to start very early, that an average hiker might need about 16 hours for the round trip, and that people not used to hiking at altitude should not try the round trip in one day; even the one-way descent from the summit is tiring. Some visitors ride to the summit by car, bus or the Cog Railway and hike down.

An open shelter about 9 miles up, just below timberline, allows campfires, and Barr Camp, run under a Forest Service special use permit, charges for camping and lodging. Drinking water is not readily available, and stream water should be treated before use. Motorized vehicles are prohibited, and so is hiking or riding on the Cog Railway right-of-way. Parking at the trailhead costs a fee; the free Manitou Shuttle’s Route 33 (Manitou Incline/Cog) stops at Barr Trail.

Facts from the Forest Service’s Barr Trail #620 page, read 10 October 2026; the trail page was last updated 13 June 2025, and its alert banner carried the forest’s current closures, dated September to December 2026. Check the forest’s alerts page before setting out.