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Mt. Sherman

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Intermediate Intermediate
 4.1 (46)
  1. Areas
  2. CO
  3. …Central Rockies
  4. Leadville
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“One of the easiest 14ers, Mt Sherman is rich in mining history. ”

Mike Langenkamp
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Map Key

4.8

Miles

7.7

KM

Out and Back

14,028' 4,276 m

High

12,056' 3,675 m

Low

1,972' 601 m

Up

1,971' 601 m

Down

16%

Avg Grade (9°)

78%

Max Grade (38°)

Dogs Leashed

Features River/Creek · Views · Wildflowers

During the winter months the road is usually closed closer to 11,000 ft.

Overview

Mount Sherman, Colorados 46th highest peak, is a great first 14er. It is possible to park as high as 12,000 feet, leaving only a couple thousand feet of elevation gain to the summit and a round-trip hike of under five miles.

Need to Know

While this is one of the easiest 14ers, it's still an alpine hike. Bring good footwear, plenty of water, and warm clothing. The average hiker should expect a time of around 5-6 hrs round trip.

Description

The standard route starts at the Fourmile Creek trailhead and heads up the southwest ridge. From Fairplay, drive south just one mile on 285. Turn right onto County Road 18 and drive 10 miles to the Leavick upper parking area at 11,200 ft. In good conditions, the gate at Leavick is open and 4WD and burly 2WD cars can make it up to 12,000 ft, with various pulloff spots along the road.

From the Leavick upper parking area, begin up the road, passing a gate at 12,000 feet which leads to the Dauntless Mine and some old wooden buildings at 12,300 feet.

Continue northwest into a basin below Hilltop Mine and follow the old road up to the mine at 12,900 feet. From here, head west as the grade increases and hike up loose rock along a rough trail to the 13,140-foot-high saddle between Mount Sherman on the right (north) and 13,748-foot Mount Sheridan on the left (south).

Next, navigate to the right on Mt. Shermans southwest ridge, following braided trails along the ridgeline. After a few hundred feet the ridge begins to narrow but stays wide enough to avoid any danger. There are some scrambly spots than can be avoided with good route finding skills. Continue up along the ridge crest to the mountains long, flat summit. Find the summit cairn and the summit register (a PVC pipe attached to a pole), sign your name and enjoy the views.

Flora & Fauna

For many decades, Mt. Sherman was a mining mecca, so you shouldn't be too surprised to see nothing but rocks, pika, and marmots.

History & Background

In January 1967 an Aspen-bound charter flight crash-landed on the summit after experiencing violent down-drafts during an unexpected storm. Parts of the Cessna 310 can still be found on the mountain. Landing in deep winter snow, none of the passengers were harmed. It ultimately took twenty hours for a rescue team to reach the downed aircraft by helicopter. Everyone was rescued and pilot Jimmy Williamson ended up having the unexpected honor of being the first person to land an airplane on a 14er!

Contacts

Land Manager: USFS - San Isabel National Forest, Leadville Ranger District

Shared By:

Mike Langenkamp
Full Details

Trail Ratings

  4.1 from 46 votes

#2

in Leadville

#253

Overall
  4.1 from 46 votes
5 Star
37%
4 Star
41%
3 Star
17%
2 Star
2%
1 Star
2%
Recommended Route Rankings

#2

in Leadville

#61

in Colorado

#253

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Photos

Mt Sherman summit
Feb 27, 2015 near Leadville, CO
An old mining cabin with an impressive backdrop.
Oct 2, 2017 near Leadville, CO
Hikers on Sherman's ridge behind old mining structures.
Oct 2, 2017 near Leadville, CO
Mt Sherman summit view
Feb 27, 2015 near Leadville, CO
Mt Sherman with snow and Dauntless mine on the left
Feb 27, 2015 near Leadville, CO
View on Mt Sheridan from Mt Sherman Trail
Aug 30, 2017 near Leadville, CO

2 Comments

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Check-Ins

Dec 9, 2023
WILLIAM FENWICK
First "winter" 14er. Solo, very cold, very fun. 10.5mi — 5h 47m
Jul 24, 2022
Ryan Bowman
4.8mi
May 26, 2022
MtnDanSW
Spring snow conditions. — 4h 30m
Mar 26, 2022
Chris W
Aug 21, 2021
Rachel Solorio
5mi
Nov 15, 2020
Jordon
we went up the headwall directly to the summit 4.8mi — 6h 00m
Oct 22, 2020
Justin Kiddy
Oct 16, 2020
CB Kreativ
5.5mi — 2h 45m

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