Devils Nose

Overview

There are a lot of neat little peaks along the Mount Evans Highway and Squaw Pass Road. The paved roadways running along the shoulders of these peaks makes them highly accessible, often via relatively short and straightforward bushwhacks. Devils Nose is one of these.

Despite rising above 11,000 feet, unranked Devils Nose offers only limited views from its summit boulders. Still, the rocky and wooded summit area provides peak-a-boo views of Goliath Peak and the Mount Evans Massif. This is a nice little leg-stretcher through the woods to a pleasant summit, and a nice way to get quickly above the crowds common in this vicinity.

Rank: Unranked
Prominence: 77 feet
USGS Quad: Idaho Springs

Rank & Prominence: Lists of John

Getting There & Route Information

Devils Nose is about 35 miles west of Denver, Colorado.

Driving from Denver
• Follow I-70 west to Exit #252, which is CO 74 (Evergreen Parkway).
• Take Evergreen Parkway for roughly 3 miles to Hwy 103 (Squaw Pass Road).
• Turn right on Squaw Pass Road.
• Follow Squaw Pass Road westbound to the parking area at the junction of CO 103 and CO 5, southeast corner.

From the parking lot, the South Slope route is about 0.5 mile roundtrip with about 400 feet of elevation gain. Carefully cross CO 103 to the north and head directly up the south slopes of Devils Nose. Negotiating around rocks on the slopes can keep the difficulty no greater than YDS Class 2. At the time of my visit the summit boulders were marked by a simple stone cairn and there was a small summit jar. A simple scamper up the rounded boulders puts you on top!

Red Tape

This area is a strange patchwork of National Forest lands, Denver Mountain Parks land and private property. Certain paths and old roadways, however, seem to be respected recreational rights-of-way. Please help ensure future access to these trails by behaving yourself. There is no fee visit this area and permits are not required for parking or foot travel. Please follow LNT (Leave No Trace) principles: 1. Plan Ahead and Prepare 2. Travel and Camp on Durable Surfaces 3. Dispose of Waste Properly 4. Leave What You Find 5. Minimize Campfire Impacts 6. Respect Wildlife 7. Be Considerate of Other Visitors

Camping & Lodging

Echo Lake Campground
The Echo Lake campground is less than ten miles from Mount Judge via CO Hwy 103. It is a small, relatively high elevation campground at 10,600 feet elevation with only 18 sites and is open seasonally from (roughly) late May through mid-September.

Georgetown
The community of Georgetown has a few lodging options, mostly of the simple, family-run variety. Visit the Trip Advisor Georgetown Page for more information on lodging in this town.

Idaho Springs
Like Georgetown, nearby Idaho Springs has a few simple, family-run lodging options. Visit the Trip Advisor Idaho Springs Page for more information on lodging in this town.

Weather & Seasons

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Devils Nose is a year-round peak and in fact winter is the ideal time to visit. Heavy snows in winter and spring could result in temporary closure of Hwy 103, though the Echo Lake parking is on the “right” side of the winter closure gate for Mount Evans Road. Expect very dense crowds along the Hwy 103 / Hwy 5 corridor in the summer.

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Images

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