Elevation Gain
2,200.00 ft (670.56 m)
Trail type
There-and-back
Distance
9.00 mi (14.48 km)
Warming hut
Yes
Please respect the outdoors by practicing Leave No Trace. Learn more about how to apply the principles of Leave No Trace on your next outdoor adventure here.

Arestua Hut is a mountain hut owned and maintained by the Colorado Mountain Club in the Roosevelt National Forest. Its heated interiors make for a cozy stopover for backcountry skiiers and snowshoers to rest up before hitting the trail home.

The trail to Arestua Hut starts from the Eldora Mountain Resort right by the Eldora Nordic Center. Snowshoers can get the national forest access pass for free from the Eldora Nordic Center. Access to the Jenny Creek Trail in the national forest requires passage through the ski area. To access the Jenny Creek Trail, ask for a special pass from the nordic center that opens a door for you to get into the ski area. Stopping by the ski area is not optional. Ask for directions from the Nordic Center.

This trail is not busy in winter, so you might not see a lot of people. Snowshoes are required in snowy conditions, and spikes will not be enough in winter. After a 0.3-mile access trail through the ski area, the Jenny Creek Trail/Guinn Mountain Trail climbs gradually from Caribou Flat for about 0.7 mile and then drops about 250 feet over the next half-mile or so. After that, the trail climbs steadily.

Follow the Jenny Creek Trail/Guinn Mountain Trail. About 1.29 miles from Caribou Flat near Eldora Mountain Resort, Jenny Lake Trail and Guinn Mountain Trail split. Continue right to follow the Guinn Mountain Trail from here on. Signage at the trail junction is difficult to interpret, so be aware and look carefully for the junction. The gradient gets tougher from here, and with snowshoes it is a slow climb. Between 3.5 and 4 miles, there is a tricky traverse section that could slow you down. Allow extra time to negotiate that section.

The total distance to Arestua Hut from the Nordic Center is close to 4.5 miles. The Guinn Mountain summit is also close to the hut. Snowshoers can rest up at the hut, bag the summit, and head back home. Overall, this is close to 9 miles round trip (in snowshoes) and takes close to 6.5 hours plus any time you spend in the hut.

Logistics + Planning

Preferable season(s)

Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall

Congestion

Low

Parking Pass

National or state forest pass

Pros

Less trafficked.

Cons

Not an exciting destination.

Pets allowed

Not Allowed

Trailhead Elevation

9,370.00 ft (2,855.98 m)

Highest point

11,041.00 ft (3,365.30 m)

Features

Warming hut

Typically multi-day

No

Groomed trail

No

Location

Nearby Lodging + Camping

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