The most scenic trail near Silverthorne Colorado, hiking the Acorn Creek Trail in summer and fall
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Looking for an awesome summer or fall hike near Silverthorne? Look no further than the Acorn Creek Trail. I first discovered this hike when there happened to be a number of wildflowers in mid June on trail that sparked popularity. After living in Breckenridge for a number of years, I decided to venture over to the trail and couldn’t believe how beautiful the mountain backdrop was. The rugged peaks off in the distance almost reminded me of the Tetons.
In this post I’ll be going over where the trailhead is, parking info, trail details, and the best time of year to hike it. Alright lets do this!
Where is Acorn Creek
Acorn Creek will be right outside of Silverthorne on Colorado Highway 9. This road is a one lane road that people seem to drive over the speed limit on so make sure to be cautious. From Highway 9 you’ll want to take a right on Ute Park Road, which will be a dirt road with some housing as you drive up. It is important to not park on this road if the lot is full as you will get ticketed! You’ll eventually see a dirt parking lot with a good amount of spots.
Below are distances and approximate drive times from major Colorado towns and cities
Breckenridge: 39 miles/40 minutes
Vail: 50 miles/50 minutes
Denver: 80 miles/1 hour 30 minutes
Boulder: 90 miles/1 hour 50 minutes
When is the best time to hike the trail
The best time to hike Acorn is in the summer or fall months so typically Mid June through about late September with Mid June being the best time to see wildflowers and the 3rd to 4th week of September being the best time to see the fall colors. Since the hike is a little bit longer if you plan on catching golden hour or sunset I would start early to mid afternoon as the entire hike can take 3-4 hours depending on speed. I hiked it with camera gear so it took me a little bit longer.
What makes this trail so special
What makes the trail special is views of the gore range in the backdrop. I personally don’t think you’ll find a more scenic hike in Summit County. Late spring, if it has been a good snow year, you’ll find fields of wildflowers at the beginning of the hike and in the fall, lots of foliage throughout.
What are the trail details
For help with navigation I like to use AllTrails and what I’ll do is download the trail ahead of time that way when I’m out of service, as most hikes are, I can still look at the map on my phone and it is helpful for knowing exactly where I am.
Acorn will be a a 6.8 mile hike with 2,547 feet of elevation gain. No loop on this one so you will hike up and down the same trail. If you feel like doing the entire hike that’s fine, but it isn’t necessary! Some of the best views can be found about halfway up the trail. The first part of the hike will be pretty flat and you’ll be pretty close to someone else’s property along a fence. Please make sure to stay on trail especially during wildflower season!
You’ll start to hike through the woods from the fence. At this point you might see another trail on the right hand side, this is actually not a real trail but has been cause from human foot traffic erosion overtime (Social trail). You’ll want to stay straight and just continue through the woods until you see a creek.
This is where you’re going to start feeling the elevation gain and also where the hike starts to open up.
The next part you will hike through an open field. I like to be cautious when hiking through here due to potential wildlife. I saw a black bear my first time and it seems like a good place for animals to roam.
Once you trek through the field you will go back into woods for just a little bit longer. This is when the hike starts to get really good in my opinion if you are willing to go this far. Being this high up on the trail you really start to see the surrounding mountain ranges and it is an amazing experience, almost heavenly if the lighting is just right!
In the fall you’ll be able to see all of the yellows and oranges in the valleys and potentially some greens if you hike as the leaves are changing..
About 2.5 miles up the trail will be the best view on the entire trail in my opinion as seen in the photo below. The incline on this part I believe is the steepest part so take your time and drink plenty of water. It’s also not a bad place to take a break and just take in the scenery. Maybe grab a few packed snacks. Not many people will hike this far so if you do it later in the day, you might even have the trail to yourself.
In June the peaks should still have snow on them and it makes for some awesome photography.
After the last viewpoint, the trail will mainly be through aspen trees, with hardly any views. It is pretty nice to walk through the aspen trees as you ascend the last leg of the hike.
As seen in the photos below you’ll get a variety of leaf colors from green to yellow, orange and even red. The trail will eventually intersect with the Ute Peak trail, another hike that is close by in Silverthorne.
A good snow year will usually mean a wet spring which means lots of green in the mountains!
Later in the day you could be rewarded with a colorful sky and sunset resting over the peaks. And if you hiked the entire trail, pat yourself on the back because this is not an easy one!
Things to be aware of when hiking the area
Mountain Lions, bears, and moose do roam the area so it’s important to use caution, carry bear spray, and to hike with others. Also be aware of weather as it can pop up in the mountains unnoticed. Use good judgement on weather to keep hiking or turn around if dark clouds start to show up.
In Colorado, thunderstorms can typically happen in the afternoon so check the weather before to see if you should hike it early in the morning.
What should we pack
Plenty of water, an extra lightweight jacket, sunscreen, good hiking footwear, and a rain jacket are all things that will make the hike much more enjoyable.
That’s it for the Acorn Creek hike. A shorter post, but hopefully the images inspire you to venture to this beautiful spot. Thanks for reading the blog and I’ll see you on the next post.
