Colorado · National Monument trail

Liberty Cap Trail (Colorado National Monument)

in Colorado

Location: Two access points: (1) Wildwood Trailhead from the west entrance, turn right onto Highway 340 (going east); continue 6.5 miles (10.5 km) and turn right at the light on South Broadway; go 1.2 miles (1.9 km) and turn left onto Wildwood Drive; from Wildwood Drive, go 0.5 miles (0.8 km); watch closely for a brown trailhead sign on the right at what appears to be driveway; turn down this road to the trailhead from the east entrance, proceed north on Monument Road 0.6 miles (1.0 km); turn left on South Camp Road; drive 2.6 miles (4.2 km) to its junction with South Broadway; turn left and go 0.5 miles (0.8 km); turn left onto Wildwood Drive and go 0.5 miles (0.8 km); watch closely for a brown trailhead sign on the right at what appears to be driveway; turn down this road to the trailhead (2) Upper Liberty Cap Trailhead from the Saddlehorn Visitor Center, turn left onto Rim Rock Drive and drive 6.4 miles (10.3 km) to the trailhead on the left. Mileage: 7.0 one way (11.3 km) Difficulty Level: Steep at lower trailhead; easy at upper trailhead. Elevation: 4,800 to 6,550 feet (1463 to 1996 meters) from lower trailhead to upper trailhead.

Average time: 4-5 hours Usage: Hiking. Horseback riding is permitted along the upper 5.0 miles (8.0 km). Description (from lower access): Trail ascends steeply for 2 miles from the Grand Valley floor to Liberty Cap rock formation.

Trail winds across gently sloping Monument Mesa through pinyon-juniper forest and sagebrush flats for the final 5.0 miles (8.0 km).

States: Colorado
Trail type: National Monument trail
Centroid coords: 39.0681°, -108.6603°

About Colorado National Monument

National Monument

This trail is inside Colorado National Monument, a national monument managed by the U.S. National Park Service. Conditions, road status, trail closures, and reservation requirements are published on the park's NPS page — check it before driving in, especially in winter or during major weather events.

Entrance fee: $25 per vehicle (verify current rate on the park page). An America the Beautiful annual pass ($80) covers entrance to all NPS units.

Official NPS trail page: https://www.nps.gov/places/liberty-cap-trail-colorado-national-monument.htm

Park homepage: https://www.nps.gov/colm/index.htm

Plan your hike

Practical notes

Maps + permits: long-distance trails like this often require permits for through-hiking, backcountry camping, or specific sections (especially in National Parks). Check with the maintaining organisation listed above and the relevant land manager before booking travel.

Water + supplies: water sources vary seasonally on most U.S. trails. Carry a filter and consult current trail-condition reports — through-hiker journals (PCT-L, AT Reddit, etc.) and the maintaining organisation publish regular updates.

When to go: hiking seasons vary widely with elevation, latitude, and snowpack. Through-hikers traditionally start the AT in March-April (Springer northbound) and the PCT in late April (Campo northbound). High-elevation western trails (CDT, JMT, Wonderland) generally aren't passable until July.

If you've hiked Liberty Cap Trail (Colorado National Monument) and have current notes (water sources, trail closures, permit changes), tell us at /contact — we update pages as we learn.

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Colorado