Kite Lake Trailhead

Posted On: 7/28/2025 By: transplant_hiker
Info: The road is rocky and bumpy. That's about it. I was able to go up at a decent speed in an crew cab F150 in 2 wheel drive. There is 1 little spot with a dip that is decent sized - but if you have any sort of ground clearance, you will be fine. I even saw sedans up there... you can do it. That said, the trailhead is a busy place but the road gets even busier. I was there at 6pm on a Friday and got one of the last spots that was not beside the bathroom. Shortly after that, the place was packed. If you are going to camp, I suggest get there early. If you are not going to camp, please park down the road and be prepared to walk the extra distance as to not disturbed the people trying to sleep. Not sure what it looks like during the week but on the weekend, it is definitely crowded.

Posted On: 7/25/2025 By: overthe59hill
Info: I returned for the Kite Lake 14ers on July 24, 2025. The trailhead road has sketchy places, but my Frontier made it in 4low. I followed an SUV that had trouble at one spot over a crater, complicated with surrounding rocks, but a third run over it and he succeeded. I may never return to this trailhead, but next year I expect it to be graded and improved because of the plans to work on it this fall. There is room for about 30 vehicles. There are two fee areas. The lower (first) place was overflowing with everyone's payments. Not good. I knew there was an upper fee area and paid mine there. Just fill out the envelope. They don't have anything to put on your dashboard, as they did in past years.

Posted On: 7/18/2025 By: BillMiddlebrook
Info: UPDATE: The Kite Lake road closure will now start on September 1st, 2025. The order says you can't use that section of road, which is essentially the last mile. The peaks are not "closed" but it's clear you cannot walk on or near that portion of the road. So, climb another route or wait until after the closure is lifted. USFS Alert Details

Posted On: 7/16/2025 By: amderr22
Info: The Forest Service just announced that the Kite Lake Trailhead and road will be closed August 1, 2025 through November 15, 2025, for road and trailhead construction. You won't be able to hike or bike past the construction zone. Because the Kite Lake loop is the only legally approved route for accessing the Decalibron 14ers (according to Colorado Fourteeners Initiative), the four peaks will essentially be closed for the remainder of the season after August 1.

Posted On: 7/5/2025 By: dquinn
Info: Bring a pen or pencil. The $8 parking permit is paid in cash only, at a permit post about a mile before the trailhead, using envelopes provided there. There is info to fill out on the envelope before depositing. I lucked out that the car arriving just after me had a pencil. Penalty for no permit is $47. Road is bumpy but easily driveable most of the way. Last 1/2 mile or so is a lot of softball/melon sized rocks and big dips, worsening as you get closer to TH, but still navigable. Just expect some rocking. No worse than the road to Grays/Torreys summer TH.

Posted On: 6/23/2025 By: awpalmer27
Info: Road is dry all the way to Kite Lake. I wasn’t able to make it all the way to the trailhead in my FWD Promaster. Clearance wasn’t an issue, but lack of traction on the last 1/4 mile prevented me from getting to the top. Like other posters have said, there are enough pullouts in this last section for those who can’t make it or don’t want to try. Seems like the last 1/2 mile is more easy 4wd road than rough 2wd road, but maybe that’s just when you’ve driving a giant box on wheels.

Posted On: 6/20/2025 By: uppercasenumber
Info: For my nervous drivers out there! This road is very trivial up to a certain point. The last half mile of the road does get a bit more burly, but there is additional parking just before this section, and you can park on the side of the road if this particular lot is full. I saw some un-sporty vehicles at this point, so most vehicles could make it within half a mile of Kite Lake.

Posted On: 5/10/2025 By: HikesInGeologicTime
Info: Road closed/gated at the start of the fee area (has been the winter TH some years). High enough drift of snow right below the parking to likely ward off a lower-clearance vehicle, but most should be able to make it to one of the pull-offs before it.

Posted On: 4/13/2025 By: daway8
Info: Road mostly dry until about 1.6mi from the summer trailhead, then intermittent snow drifts for maybe half a mile before the final stretch becomes all snow. It will take a good bit more warm weather before you'll be able to drive all the way to Kite Lake. There was room for multiple vehicles to pull over along the side of the road just before the snow starts.

Posted On: 1/1/2025 By: marcstrawser
Info: plowed to Paris.

Posted On: 11/2/2024 By: madmattd
Info: A few small stretches of thin packed snow/ice down low, basically dry from the gate to the parking lot. Badly rutted just above the last switchback (nothing really new there), and a few similar spots afterwards to the lot. I was the only non-crossover or higher clearance vehicle to park in the lot that I saw - a couple Civic/Corolla types actually stopped just before the gate. Go get it before they close the gate!

Posted On: 10/30/2024 By: Town_of_Alma
Info: The Kite Lake access road gate will be closing Monday 11/4/24 for the winter season.

Posted On: 10/12/2024 By: butlerer
Info: Road to the trailhead was dry on 10/12. Took my Subaru to the end of the road and camped overnight at the trailhead. There were a couple other sedans at the trailhead. Any as long as the road is dry, any sedan should be able to make it to the station to pay your entrance fee. It's 1 mi from there to the trailhead. There were two deeper ruts in the road that I could drive around, but I wouldn't have been able to take the Subaru down through the rut. Enjoy!

Posted On: 8/3/2024 By: lesherhawk
Info: Just a heads up finding the road to the Kite Lake trailhead in Alma. Look for a road called Buckskin and turn there. The building directly across from the intersection is currently for sale and the Caniglia real estate building is down the road a bit so its a bit confusing. Also there is no Kite Lake sign until you turn into the residential area and then you will see it.

Posted On: 9/3/2024 By: jainanoel
Info: bumpy but reasonable 2wd for most of the road, gets much much worse after the final switchback. Got my Model 3 RWD to about 1/4 mile away from the main parking lot with only one minor scrape underneath but probably should've stopped sooner.