Casco & French Peaks

Hike Name: Casco & French Peaks Location: central CO Length: 12 Submitted by: Patrick Reining Date Submitted: 0/0/00 Rating:	more Colorado trail reviews Colorado national parks Colorado state parks
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Description
My wife and I did this as a loop in combintaion with Bull mountain and Mount Elbert(higest peak in Colorado). If you don't have a 4x4 that can do a mild river crossing add another 4 miles. We set up camp just before the second river crossing on S Halfmoon creek road at 10,800. Follow the dry creek bed west out of camp. This is a brutal 2400ft gain in ~1 mi but when you make it up to 13,200 it is an amazing 9 mi ridge walk to Mount Elbert where you rarly drop below 13,000 feet! If you enjoy your privacy this is a perfect hike as you will not see another soul until you reach Mount Elbert. When my wife an I spent the day on this trail a nice little rain shower went over right after French and gave us a wonderful rainbow in the valley BELOW us.

Directions to Hike
Head south on Hwy 24 out of Leadville to Hwy 300. West on Hwy 300 to Halfmoon road. Stay on this road past the trailheads for Mount Massive and Mount Elbert. Turn south on South Halfmoon Creek road after a mild creek crossing (or park here and add 4 miles to the loop). I parked and set up camp right before the next (more serious) creek crossing.

Contact Information
White River National Forest 680 River Parkway
PO Box 620
Silverthorne, CO 80498
(970)468-5400
(970)468-7735

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