The Northern Sangres Traverse Loop starts/finishes at the Rainbow Trail Trailhead on the road up Methodist Mountain outside of Salida, CO. Start by hiking 20 miles southeast on the Rainbow Trail to Hayden Pass Road, then hike up the 5 miles and many thousands of feet of elevation gain to the top of Hayden Pass. From there, hike northwest 19 more miles and summit approx. a dozen named points/peaks, ending at Methodist Mountain. Jog the last 5 miles down the road back to the trailhead!
This is an incredible roundtrip route of the Northern Sangres, with four distinct sections: the Rainbow Trail is relative simple long trail hiking similar to what you'll find on the Colorado Trail, Hayden Pass is a stout 3,000' in 5 miles on a dusty, sun exposed 4WD road. The traverse on the ridge itself is a seemingly never-ending rollercoast of peaks with an additional 9,000' of elevation gained. Once you hit Methodist Mountain, it's all downhill where you'll lose 2,800' in 5 miles down to the trailhead.
A loop of the Northern Sangres allows you to experience this segment of the Sangre de Cristo Range, without needing to have a shuttle with two 4WD vehicles, a parking lot is located at the Rainbow Trail Trailhead (or just hike up, and camp the night before!).
