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Length: 3.9 miles (out and back)
Difficulty: Challenging
Trailhead: Tenmile Canyon (39.57495, -106.11099)
Why we love it: The climb up Mt. Royal is tough, gaining more than 1,400 feet in one 1.4-mile section, but all that huffing delivers hardy hikers to wide views of the Tenmile Range and Continental Divide, which are gilded in aspens come mid-September.
When to go: June through October; foliage peaks the third week of September.
Pre-hike fuel: Pop into the Breakfast Deli for a to-go chile relleno breakfast burrito, or make it a leisurely launch with a sit-down plate of Eggs Butterhorn (poached eggs, protein, avocado, and roasted red pepper sauce on a flaky croissant) at Butterhorn Bakery. Order a coconut macaroon or slice of cinnamon crumb coffee cake and stick it in your pack to enjoy at the summit later.
Post-hike buzz: Celebrate your climb with a High Peak pilsner and some Thai fried chicken from Outer Range Brewing Co. where you can sit on the patio with your pup and spy the mountain you just climbed.
Restrooms: None
Dogs: Allowed on leash
Dwarfed by its more robust neighbors, 11,785-foot Mt. Victoria and 12,805-foot Peak One, Mt. Royal holds its own special mightiness as it lords over I-70, anchoring the Tenmile Range on the west end of Frisco. It’s a little giant at a mere 10,502 feet, but it rises more than 1,700 feet above the highway. Also going for it: It’s one of the more accessible treks from town and fairly short. In just a couple of hours, you’ll climb a mountain to impressive views and have plenty of daylight left to paddle on Lake Dillon or pedal to Copper—though your legs might protest. The trail gains more than 1,400 feet in just shy of two miles.
To hike to the Mt. Royal summit, park in the lot off of W. Main Street and Forest Drive and cross the bridge over North Tenmile Creek. Continue east on the paved Tenmile Rec Path, watching for speedy road cyclists as you stroll through a tunnel of flickering aspen trees. Near mile 0.5, peel south (hiker’s right) onto the trail for Mt. Royal. Fire up your quads because you’ll gain all of the elevation on this climb in the next 1.4 miles to the top.
Negotiate the rocky switchbacks through lodgepole pine woods smeared with aspen stands. Peekaboo views to the east reveal Summit County as you continue climbing. Around a mile in, notice remnants of the old mining territory of Masontown. Shortly after, the path doglegs north and flattens out for a blessed section; catch your breath and high-five any hardcore trail runners before continuing up, up, and away and embracing the burn. As the pitch steepens, the aperture on your views widen: Take in eyefuls of Dillon Reservoir and Keystone Resort.
At mile 1.6, turn north (hiker’s right) to summit Mt. Royal (the left fork takes you to Mt. Victoria and Peak One). A quick, quarter-mile push lands you at the summit where a flat top allows plenty of room to roam. Pinpoint the tiny ribbon of I-70 slicing through the canyon then identify your favorite ski runs before retracing your steps on the return.
Getting there: From Denver, take I-70 west to Exit 201 for W. Main St. toward Frisco. Cross under the highway and take your first right onto Forest Dr., which spills into the public parking lot.
Read more: Our Favorite Close-to-Home Hikes
