Midway Trail #1993.1

Dogs Leashed

Features Commonly Backpacked · Views · Wildflowers · Wildlife

Parking is very limited at the upper Hunter Creek Valley trailhead. Because of this, it is recommended to park at the BLM parking lot located off Hunter Creek Rd. on Red Mountain. This adds about a mile to the hike, but it is better than paying the fee after your car gets towed from the upper lot!

If you are in search of a grand adventure that offers solitude, spectacular mountain views, and a healthy dose of challenge, you've stumbled across the right trail. Most often does as a point-to-point backpack, hiking the Midway Trail offers an exceptionally special way to link the Hunter Creek Valley just outside of Aspen to the Independence Pass road (Highway 82).

This route can be hiked in either direction. Most day hikers will want to start at the Lost Man trailhead located off of Highway 82, 13.5 miles from downtown Aspen. Departing from and returning to this trailhead allows users to hike as far as they have the energy for before turning around and returning to their vehicle.

When done as an overnight backpacking adventure, many hikers will start from the Hunter Creek Valley trailhead and access the Midway Trail via the Van Horn Park Road and the Hunter Creek Trail. This requires a pre-arranged car shuttle and use of the Trail Run Project mobile app is suggested as it can become difficult to find the start of the Midway Trail without the App.