Royal Mountain

Overview

Royal Mountain is a neat little 11er in the Mount Evans Wilderness of Colorado. Highly convenient to Denver, the summit sees relatively little traffic thanks to lack of an established trail to the summit. Views are pleasant from the summit, which is surrounded by stunted pine trees, but the views from the rocky northwestern end of the summit plateau are huge! Look closely, and you’ll even notice downtown Denver off in the distance through a cleft in the Pegmatite ridgeline.

Approached from the northwest, this mountain has a rugged, surprisingly big-mountain feel. The scenery to the northwest is particularly fetching, with Rosalie Peak and her companion summit Bandit Peak looking strong and dramatic. Though petite at less than 11,500 feet, Royal Mountain reminds us that good things come in small packages, even in the mountains!

Rank: 1,557th highest peak in Colorado
Prominence: 395 feet
USGS Quad: Harris Park

Rank & Prominence: Lists of John

Getting There

Royal Mountain sits roughly 30 miles west of Denver and is easily reached via US 285. Primary access is either from the Deer Creek Trailhead (CR 43 to FS 100) or by following FS 106 up the Church Fork of Elk Creek out of Harris Park.

Red Tape

Royal Mountain is located in the Mount Evans Wilderness. Wilderness regulations apply, and include, per the Wilderness Act of 1964:

• Only foot traffic is allowed in the wilderness and all dogs must be on a leash.
• Motorized equipment is prohibited, including chain saws, battery powered tools, generators, etc.
• Mechanized transportation is prohibited, including, including bicycles, hang gliders or carts.
• Aircraft, including helicopters, are prohibited from landing, or dropping off/picking up any materials, supplies or persons.
• Please follow LNT (Leave No Trace) principals.

There is no fee for using this area, nor is any pre-registration necessary. Be courteous to land management professionals, and wise with an eye toward your own safety should anything go wrong, and register your party at the self-service kiosk at the wilderness boundary.

Struggling

Down

Recovered!

Camping

Deer Creek Campground, operated by the U.S. National Forest Service, is extremely convenient to Royal Mountain if accessing the peak from the Deer Creek Trailhead.

Elevation: About 9,000 feet
Facilities: Vault toilet and water
Number of sites: 13

The nearby Meridian Campground, also operated by the USFS, is a convenient camping area if accessing the peak out of Harris Park.

Elevation: About 9,000 feet
Facilities: Vault toilets and water
Number of sites: 18

Easy scrambling

Astroclimber on the boulders

Astroclimber almost to the summit

Weather & Seasons

Last few easy steps

Cairn and register

Happy to summit!

Bandit and Rosalie from summit

Stunted summit trees

Royal Mountain Summit

Images

View Royal Mountain Image Gallery - 23 Images