Coney Flats to Mt Audubon - 11.2 Miles Round-Trip

Mt Audubon is the 6th highest peak in the Indian Peaks Wilderness, and tallest with a maintained trail leading to the summit. While most visitors take a direct route from Brainard Lake, a strenuous but lightly used alternative begins from the north in Coney Flats.

Trail Map | Photo Gallery

Coney Flats is a broad, damp expanse separating Mt Audubon (south) and St Vrain Mountain (north). Coney Creek fans out through the flat, creating marsh-like conditions in a diminutive pine - aspen forest with active wildlife. See 4WD trailhead access notes below before starting your trip:

The Beaver Creek Trail rises quickly over Coney Flats with excellent views of St Vrain Mountain. It crosses a small stream (1.3 miles : 10,143') and steepens to a break in the forest revealing Mt Audubon's east ridge (1.8 miles : 10,385').

Here it transitions through treeline, a drawn-out process with useful insight to this unique ecotone. Spruce and Fir, which grow straight and tall at lower elevations, become sparse, short and deformed near treeline.

Short seasons, inhospitable weather and poor soil restrict their height, while persistent winds typically limit branch growth to the lee side. This stunted form of pine, known as krummholz, is joined by willows, mosses, sedges, grasses and flowers.

Large cairns mark faint sections of trail in open tundra beginning at 2.2 miles. Grades steepen to the ridge top (3.28 miles : 11,366'), then ease to the Beaver Creek Trail - Mt Audubon Trail split (3.35 miles : 11,375').

Travel moderates along a bench (3.7 miles : 11,650') with partial views of Mt Toll, Navajo Peak, Apache Peak, Shoshoni Peak and Pawnee Peak. Steep climbing resumes on switchbacks to a saddle (4.4 miles : 12,144') with x-country access to two unnamed peaks to the north (12,706' + 12,114') .

The trail curls north of the summit and levels on a saddle directly beneath it (5.15 miles : 12,700'), positioning you for the final .45 mile - 523' climb through a rugged talus field.

Though your objective is now clear, the route may not be; a large cairn and talus barrier block the trail at this point. It's possible to overshoot this demarcation, but you'll quickly find yourself staring down a perilous drop to Upper Coney Lake (10,940').

Identify cairns leading up through the talus before pressing on. The path is vague, and it's likely you'll discover several alternative routes along the way. Proceed cautiously and follow the most direct path to the summit (5.6 miles : 13,223'). Enjoy wide panoramas, an up-close look at neighboring Paiute Peak (13,088'), and 8 rock wind shelters on Mt Audubon.