Cameron Cone

Cameron Cone just left of center

We see it every day. It sits prominently in front of Pikes Peak when viewed from our home. Cameron Cone is a 10,707' peak Just west of Colorado Springs. After attempting the peak and turning around due to snow this spring, Laura and I decided to give the "Harder than it looks" peak a second try. Somewhere around 10 miles and 4,500' of elevation gain would be our numbers for the day.

Saturday morning, we made it to Manitou Springs at 8:45 and snagged a spot in the free parking area just west of the roundabout. We began walking with an intended car to car time of 6-7 hours. We had read a few trip reports about the length and difficulty of climbing the scree fields and other parties taking 8-10 hours. We know we move pretty quickly so we weren't too concerned about being out all day. Besides, long hours on our feet would be good for us as we will be putting on 20+ mile days in just a few weeks in Patagonia.

After walking up Ruxton Ave and past the Cog train station, the road dead ends at a gate. We bypassed the gate and took the left split, following a dirt road across a bridge and up a slope ending at the train tracks. Walking up just 2 posts, we found the faint trail near the post marked 044954.

The trail climbs steeply and through many switchbacks for a mile or so, eventually reaching Magog rock. With some easy scrambling, we moved around Magog and headed up the ridge toward Gog rock. We turned around here in the spring due to snow, so the remainder of the hike was all new to us.

Gog Rock

Magog Rock

When we reached the saddle, we took a look at the map and made the decision to move further south and up gentler slopes, adding some mileage but making the final 1,500' of elevation gain easier than going straight up a very loose scree field. We encountered the large rock band just before the summit, skirted around and climbed to the top at 11:30 am, just 2:45 after leaving the car.

Looking at Gog rock and the summit from Magaog rock

The views from the summit are amazing. Looking south you get all of the Cheyenne Mountain and Colorado Springs area and to the west you have unobstructed views of Pikes Peak. Laura and I had lunch and a beer while looking at Pikes and picking out where the Barr Trail follows the mountain. After 45 minutes of relaxing, we took off for the car. Laura says it's easier on the knees to jog down the steep scree. While I agree, I prefer to speed walk while she runs. We moved quickly down to the saddle, past Gog and Magog rocks and on to the lower portions of the trail. With a combination of walking and running, we reached the car just a few hours after leaving the summit.

If you're looking for a fun, adventurous and difficult day trip, I highly suggest this peak. It's one I am happy to have checked off the list and one I won't soon forget. 10.5 miles, 4.5 hours.