COLORADO — The Colorado Fourteeners Initiative (CFI) has been monitoring hiking use on Colorado's 14,000-foot peaks (14er) using infrared trail counters since 2014. Hiking some or all of Colorado's 58 14,000+ foot peaks is a passion for residents and visitors alike. The exhilarating pastime benefits hikers and our economy.
According to the initiative, 14er use in 2023 fell to an all-time low of 260,000 hiker use days, equaling the initial estimate from 2015. This represents a 6.8 percent decline from 2022's estimate, reflecting a broader trend of decreased hiking activity since the peak in 2020 during the pandemic summer when use reached 415,000 hiker days.
While the number of people hiking 14ers overall fell in Colorado, the number of people hiking the peaks in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains increased 18 percent or 1,500 to approximately 10,000 annually.
The CFI is a nonprofit that partners with the U.S. Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management to preserve and protect the natural integrity of Colorado's 14,000-foot peaks through stewardship such as the monitoring project and education.
A primary factor contributing to the overall decline was the closure of the popular Decalibron Loop near Alma for much of the season due to private landowner liability concerns. This resulted in a 17,500-day drop (-55%) in the Mosquito Range.
Several 14ers in Colorado are privately owned, or the landowner requires permission to access routes to reach them
Nearby, 14,047-foot Culebra Peak on the Cielo Vista Ranch is privately owned and requires a fee of $150. According to the ranch, it is the highest privately owned peak in the world. Access across the Trinchera Blanca Ranch has been closed for several years to hike 14,055-foot Mt. Lindsey.
Hiking use also decreased in three of Colorado's seven ranges containing 14ers, including the popular Front Range closest to the Denver metro area. Meanwhile, peaks such as Mount Bierstadt and Quandary Peak remained the most popular, each with use estimated in the 25,000-30,000 hiker days range.
CFI's estimate of hiking use suggests a statewide economic impact of $70.5 million directly attributable to hiking 14ers in 2023, based on past economic expenditure studies performed by Colorado State University economists. This significant contribution underscores the importance of 14ers recreational activities to the local economy.
Their study found that climbers of Quandary Peak near Breckenridge spent an average of $271.17 per day on gasoline, food, lodging, equipment, and other retail purchases.
The CFI estimates that 32,500 people hike the 14ers in the San Juan Mountains and approximately 10,000 hikers in the Sangre de Cristos.
This reporter encounters many hikers in the Sangre de Cristos accessing 14ers and has found the vast majority are from outside the region and are visiting specifically to ascend a 14er. Using the economic estimate of $271 per day, the recreational users' financial impact on both sides of the range is $2.16 million daily.
According to CFI, in 2023, an estimated 57 percent of all statewide hiking use (148,000 hiker days) occurred on the 12 peaks closest to the Denver metro area (Front Range, Tenmile Range, Mosquito Range, and Mount Elbert). The remaining 46 peaks accounted for 112,000 hiker days. Compared to the prior year, hiking use fell in the Mosquito Range (-17,500 days, -55%), San Juan Mountains (-5,500 days, -14%), and Front Range (-3,000 days, -3%). However, hiking use increased in the Tenmile Range (+5,000 days, +23%), Sangre de Cristo Range (+1,500 days, +18%), and the Elk Mountains (+500 days, +7%).
The most recent report from CFI culminates nine years of data collection from up to 23 infrared trail counters placed adjacent to summit hiking trails, covering 21 peaks statewide.
The initiative uses "hiker use days" to represent one person hiking one peak on a given day, offering a comprehensive view of hiking activity on Colorado's 14ers. By understanding hiking use levels, seasonal dispersal, and trends over time, CFI can better assess the impact of hiking on the fragile alpine environments of Colorado's 14ers, guiding efforts to preserve these unique landscapes.
Colorado's 14ers are among the most sought-after mountain peaks in the country. They also possess some of the most fragile alpine landscapes. Plants in the alpine, those above tree line (at about 11,500'), are incredibly delicate. The plants in this wonderland grow in extreme environments of intense solar radiation, high and destructive winds, and low temperatures. Despite these harsh elements, they have adapted to these conditions. Although hearty, they can quickly be damaged by human intrusion.
The Colorado Fourteeners Initiative is at the forefront of educating the enthusiasts who hike/climb in the alpine tundra regarding the fragility of this ecosystem and how they can have less of an impact. Visit www.14ers.org to learn more about this treasured ecosystem and how to protect it.
The hiking and climbing use is confined to a short four-month climbing season when the mountains are primarily snow-free. Natural resource impacts in the fragile alpine tundra environment, stemming from the lack of adequately designed and constructed summit trails on the 14ers, led to CFI's founding in 1994.
Next week, the Valley Courier will feature the hiking adventure of a longtime Crestone resident detailing a recent experience of summiting his first 14er, 14,087-foot Challenger Point.
