Mount Massive Wilderness Area — Attraction in Four Corners States

Great hike along the Colorado Trail. Pretty flat and almost always in the shade. I hiked from Mt. Elbert parking lot to massive parking lot and then about 10 miles towards Turquoise Lake. Was probably about 3 miles from the lake before turning around. Several small river crossings. Great views of Mt. Elbert. Also lots of camping in the area. There are a couple of pay for camp sites along Half Moon drive, or of you would rather not pay there is a ton of dispersed camp sites. Come early! By Friday afternoon it gets pretty crowded and could be hard to find...

This area is just wonderful. There's a decent approach to the Elbert and Massive trailheads from the highway, but worth it. Camp sites line the dirt road along with a sense of isolation and beauty. The first 2-3 miles of the Massive trail is kind, well kept and very enjoyable. I was able to run much of it. After emerging from treeline, a huge meadow appears providing views of Massive, Turquoise Lake and the town of Leadville. Upon reaching the saddle to ascend up Massive, the grade greatly increases...but that's ok, stop and look around you!...

Came up here with a group of 4x4's to do the Half Moon Gulch trails. The area was awesome. A lot to do. A lot of camping spots. Plenty of great hiking and views. Some of the camping seemed to be very congested, but if you have a 4x4 there are some more places to go that are a bit away from everyone else. I will definitely be going back here to play in my Jeep...