Access to the great outdoors is why many of us chose to live in Colorado, but costs go up out there, too, keeping some people away from the last “free” amenity.
When people feel their budget being constricted, adventure and recreation are often the first things they cut, said Patricia Cameron, CEO and founder of the Colorado Springs-based nonprofit Blackpackers.
“When people are just trying to survive and have survivable wages, the first things you pay for are the things you need to survive, the basic life necessities,” Cameron said. “A lot of that adventure falls to the wayside if you can barely take care of your house or pay your bills.”
The nonprofit aims to help people at the intersection of underrepresentation and economic vulnerability. In times of crisis — whether it be financial, medical or otherwise — the impact often falls the hardest on Black and Indigenous communities, she said.
High Cost of Colorado
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“So anytime you see a housing crisis, resurgence of a new COVID variant, inflation, cost of living, that’s going to impact the most vulnerable the most, first and the hardest,” she said.
Blackpackers tries to help people overcome startup costs for backpacking, cycling, snowboarding and other activities, an initial investment that in many cases is the biggest financial barrier.
Your first time skiing or snowboarding will likely cost hundreds of dollars. A good backpacking setup is typically refined over years, replacing heavy gear with more lighter alternatives that come with hefty price tags.
“The cost of living has gone up so much,” Cameron said, “people have had to make a choice between just how much they recreate or just how far they can go.”
With the rising costs of groceries, stocking up on trail mix and protein bars to fuel a hike in the backcountry is also more expensive than before. Fluctuating gas prices can make getting to the trailhead three hours from home a costly choice. And with land managers and local governments trying to control the costs and damage at increasingly popular sites, don’t be too surprised if you’re asked to pay a permit fee to park once you’re there.
It turns out the price to freely explore our beautiful state isn’t so cheap.
JUMP TO: Money Diary | Other Costs | Price Changes | In My Pack
Money Diary
I took a trip to hike Mt. Harvard near Buena Vista. At 14,423 feet above sea level, it is Colorado’s third-highest peak.
Here’s how much each part of the trip cost me.
Tuesday, Sept. 26
6:30 p.m. — I head to King Soopers to pick up food that I will carry in my pack up Mount Harvard. I buy a lemon poppyseed BoBo bar and a banana for breakfast, Babybel cheese, crackers and a tuna fish packet for lunch, and plenty of snacks for the roughly 13-mile hike, including trail mix, a caramel Honey Stinger and a package of peanut butter M&Ms for the summit. I’m not that hungry when hiking at high elevations so I pack food that I think I will eat, and extra, in case I’m on the trail for longer than expected.
Total: $20.03
7:15 p.m. — I get about half a tank of gas at a Conoco near my house in Colorado Springs, which should be enough for the 198-mile roundtrip drive from my home to the trailhead near Buena Vista. (This is the cheaper option compared to buying gas in Buena Vista, where a gallon per gas is closer to $4.19). I buy 8.18 gallons for my 2008 Toyota RAV4 at $3.62 per gallon.
Editor’s Note: Aside from Pikes Peak, this is one of the closest 14ers to Colorado Springs. The farthest 14er from Colorado Springs is Mount Sneffels near Ouray. If I took U.S. 50 and drove 277 miles to the trailhead and back in my RAV4 with gas at $3.62 per gallon, I would spend about $84 on fuel.
Total: $31.99
Wednesday, Sept. 27
12:30 p.m. — More often than not, I am dreaming about my next meal on my hike down the mountain. As I make my way back to downtown Buena Vista, I am hungry. I order a veggie burger with french fries ($15) at Eddyline brewery. To celebrate my summit, I consider one of their cocktails (Maroon Bells: gin-infused with hibiscus, coconut and rosehip, bitter chinato amaro, berry simple syrup and lime) for $12, but I decide for the more budget-friendly Pumpkin Patch pale ale for $7.
Total: $23.47 plus 20% tip, $27.77
1:30 p.m. — I also grab an Arizona Ice Tea at the gas station for the ride home since I have been awake since 2 a.m. and beer makes me sleepy.
Total: $0.99
No fees were required to park at this trailhead. But here’s how much all of my gear cost.
Final Bill
$80.78
Other costs to consider while hiking in Colorado
Keep Colorado Wild Pass
A $29 fee when state residents register a vehicle through DMV allows for entry to 42 state parks. The fee is included unless you opt out. Regardless of whether visitors have a pass, prices for campsites may vary.
National Parks
To hike in one of the four national parks in Colorado, there are entry fees.
- Rocky Mountain National Park: $30 per vehicle. Timed entry permit reservations, which are required to enter certain areas of the park May through October, cost $2. To camp in the park May through October, you must buy a wilderness backpacking permit (in addition to the entry fee) for $36. To camp during the offseason (November through April), there’s a $10 fee. An annual entry pass for the park is $70.
- Mesa Verde: Entrance prices vary, from $15 per person to $30 per private vehicle, depending on the time of the year. You can also purchase an annual entrance pass for $55.
- Great Sand Dunes: The entry fee for a car is $25 and $20 for a motorcycle. The passes are valid for seven days. An annual pass to the park costs $45.
- Black Canyon of the Gunnison: Entrance fees cost $15 per person, $30 per vehicle or $25 per motorcycle, and an annual entrance pass is $55.
You can also purchase an America the Beautiful pass for $80 to gain entry to all national parks and more than 2,000 federal recreation areas for a year.
Trailhead parking
To reduce crowding, parking reservation systems have been set up at many trailheads across the state. It’s best to check for fees and required permits before heading out for a hike.
- Brainard Lake Recreation Area: Daily parking passes are required mid-April through mid-October and are $14 per vehicle.
- Maroon Lake trailhead: From mid-May to October, reservations are required. To park at this popular trailhead, a $10 daily parking pass is required. Another option is to park at the Aspen Highlands Parking Structure for $7 per hour and then take a shuttle, for $16 per person or $10 for kids 12 and younger and people 65 and older, to the trailhead.
- Quandary Peak and McCullough Gulch in Summit County: A sharp increase in visitation at the popular peak and hiking area led to a new parking system in 2023. Those who want to hike Quandary Peak or McCullough Gulch between June 17 and Sept 17 are required to reserve a parking spot at the Quandary Peak trailhead or take a shuttle from Breckenridge. Full-day reservations, recommended for Quandary, cost $30 Monday through Thursday and $55 Friday through Sunday, plus holidays. Four-hour reservations cost $10 Monday through Thursday and $20 Friday through Sunday, plus holidays. The shuttle cost $7 roundtrip, but is free for Summit County residents.
- Mount Blue Sky: A $10 fee is required to reserve a timed entry up the highest paved road in North America, which leads to Colorado’s 14th highest 14er.
- Hanging Lake: A reservation to hike to these iconic waterfalls in Glenwood Springs is required and costs $12 per person.
Backcountry permits
Permits are required in a growing number of popular wilderness areas. To camp overnight in the Indian Peaks Wilderness Area, you must secure an $11 permit.
Overnight permits are required May through October for the busiest areas of the Maroon Bells-Snowmass Wilderness including Conundrum Hot Springs, Capitol Lake, Crater Lake and the Four Pass Loop. A permit costs $10.
The change in prices for a national park annual pass, a popular hiking boot and gas to get to your destination
Cost to get into Rocky Mountain National Park over time
RMNP is the fourth busiest in the national park system with about 4.3 million paying to visit in 2022. The price of an annual pass doubled from 2008 to 2023.
Cost of L.L. Bean’s Cresta hiking boots over time
L.L. Bean’s most popular backpacking boots have been sold for decades. The latest Cresta model, featuring waterproof leather with GORE-TEX lining to keep your feet dry, are $140 more expensive than the 1997 version.
Average retail fuel prices in the U.S. for the month of July
Coloradans love to hit the trails in July, but most of us have to drive there, so we took a look at average gas prices for that month throughout the past decade.
Here’s everything inside my pack hiking up a 14er
- Camelback 20-liter hydration backpack: $100 (purchased from REI)
- Altra Lone Peak 3.5 trail running shoes: $40.71 (bought on Poshmark, but latest model of the shoes, brand new, cost: $150)
- Darn Tough micro crew socks: $21 (REI)
- Smartwool thermal base layer top: $115 (REI)
- Moisture-wicking tank: $12 (Lululemon brand purchased from Goodwill)
- Smartwool gloves: $24 (REI)
- Puffer jacket (down sweater): $279 (Patagonia)
- GORE-TEX rain jacket: $100 (Purchased with a pro-deal from Marmot)
- Sunshirt: $49.95 (REI)
- Buff: $20 (Mountain Chalet)
- Sunscreen SPF 30: $10.99 (Target)
- 5-Panel hat: $15.95 (Gravity Outdoor Company)
- Trekking poles, Black Diamond FLZ 16 oz: $125.96 (Black Diamond)
- Black Diamond Spot 325 headlamp: $39.95 (REI)
- First-aid kit for day hikes: $14.95 (REI)
- Fire starter: homemade
- Vaseline: $2 (King Soopers)
- Lighter, matches: $5
- Thermal leggings: $27 (on sale at Outdoor Research)
- Hiking pants: $69.95 (REI)
- Beanie: $26 (Topo Designs)
- Samsung Galaxy S20 with Alltrails map downloaded: $503.57 (refurbished phone purchased from Back Market)
- Emergency blanket: $5.25 (REI)
- Sunglasses: $44 (Bought on sale at Sunski)
Design by Danika Worthington.