Battle Mountain - 9.8 Miles Round-Trip

Battle Mountain (12,044') is located 4.9 miles from Longs Peak Trailhead in Rocky Mountain National Park. Battle Mountain is a nearly one-mile long ridge that extends NE from Granite Pass (12,098') and the shoulder of Mount Lady Washington (13,281').

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It's a familiar sight to anyone who's hiked Chasm Lake or Longs Peak, but often overlooked as a destination in itself. 

The summit-ridge separates the Alpine Brook and Boulder Brook drainages with exceptional views across the Longs massif, Continental Divide and Mummy Range.

Visitors have a good chance to see elk, bighorn sheep, mountain goat and ptarmigan across large tracts of open tundra.

The route shares the first 3.25 miles with Chasm Lake to the East Longs Peak Trail, which makes a counter-clockwise arc around the base of MLW to Granite Pass (12,098'), a small saddle between MLW and the Battle Mountain summit-ridge.

From here you can immediately gain the ridge and follow it to the highest point, or hike a short distance on the North Longs Peak Trail before veering off on a more direct line to the summit. No matter how you go you'll travel across delicate tundra. Stay on trails and walk on rocks as much as possible to minimize impact:

The trail climbs steadily from Longs Peak Ranger Station past connections for Estes Cone  (.5 miles) and Goblins Forest backcountry campsite (1.1 miles : 10,127’).

Alpine Brook is the only notable feature until crossing the top of a long cascade at treeline (1.85 miles : 10,615') where the forest quickly shrinks to bands of krummholz.

It clears treeline to the Battle Mountain Backcountry Campsite spur (2.45 miles : 10,956'), and up to the Chasm Lake - East Longs Peak Trail split (3.25 miles : 11,518').

The East Longs Peak Trail veers NW and moderates along the base of Mount Lady Washington to Granite Pass and the North Longs Peak Trail split (4.3 miles : 12,098’). 

Turn right on the N. Longs Peak Trail and drop along the north flank of Battle Mountain. On this brief descent you can identify the highest points on the ridge, and then split off on a direct and minimally-impactful route to the summit (4.9 miles : 12,044'). 

The exact summit can be hard to distinguish, as the ridge is nearly level with just a few prominent outcrops. The summit is .5 - .6 miles from Granite Pass depending on route, though views are terrific from just about any point.

Watch weather closely and allow extra time to descend off the ridge and reach treeline before storms develop.