Devils Playground Trail

In 2019, RMFI broke ground on the new Devils Playground Trail and will continue our efforts in the 2021 season. The Devils Playground Trail (also known as the Crags Trail) traverses approximately 7 miles and 4,300 feet starting from a trailhead located near the Crags Campground (Woodland Park, CO) and terminating at the summit of Pikes Peak, elevation 14,115 feet. The trail is located entirely on the USFS Pike National Forest. The trail is one of two primary hiking trails to the summit of Pikes Peak, known to be one of the most visited mountains in the world. The Devils Playground Trail offers a shorter, less crowded route as compared to Barr Trail, and provides hikers with stunning views of mountain ranges to the west.

In late 2018, the Pikes Peak Ranger District finished analysis that is required by the NEPA process. Botanical and archaeological surveys showed that the new trail would not have deleterious impacts to the ecology of the area, which paved the way for construction of a re-route of the Devils Playground Trail to begin in 2019. RMFI will work with youth corps crews, its own internal stewardship crew, and community volunteers to construct the new trail. Completion of the trail re-route is anticipated for 2023, after which RMFI will oversee the decommissioning and restoration of the closed trail.