Otis Peak - 12.0 Miles Round-Trip

Otis Peak (12,486') caps an arete along the Continental Divide between Chaos Canyon (north), and Andrews Glacier (south). No maintained trail reaches Otis Peak, however a well-established route continues south from Flattop Mountain across open tundra to the summit.

Trail Map | Photo Gallery

Visitors will enjoy exceptional views and insight to the Park's complex glacial formation:

The trail rises quickly over Bear Lake through young aspen to the Odessa Lake - Mill Creek Basin Trail split (.45 miles : 9,725'). It climbs steadily in a spruce-fir forest to the Flattop Mountain Trail (1.0 mile : 9,965'), which steepens considerably on a rough, winding path.

Thick timber breaks at Dream Lake Overlook with good views up Glacier Gorge, and of Keyboard of the Winds on Longs Peak's west ridge (1.6 miles : 10,470').

Steady, steep climbing resumes in a thinning forest to Emerald Lake Overlook, which provides a commanding view over the gorge carved by Tyndall Glacier, one of five active glaciers in the Park (2.9 miles : 11,357').

Grades moderate as you transition through treeline (2.5 - 3.0 miles : 11,440'), where the once towering forest is reduced to thin bands of krummholz.

Krummholz - a German word meaning twisted wood - describes the stunted, irregular growth patterns of trees in the ecological transition zone between subalpine forests and alpine tundra. Poor soil, thin air, strong winds, and extreme weather limit and deform growth at these elevations.

Grades steady on a well-defined path into the open tundra. Tread carefully over snowfields, and use cairns for guidance. The trail passes a hitchrack (3.9 miles, 12,135') with a good look at Tyndall Glacier and Hallett Peak (12,713').

The trail scales a perennial snowfield over the hitchrack and levels up to Flattop Mountain (4.3 miles : 12,324'), which is more aptly described as a broad flat along the Divide. No sign marks the summit, however the Flattop Mountain Trail - Tonahutu Trail junction is generally recognized as the summit.

To reach Otis Peak, turn south and follow the faint path toward Hallett Peak. While this will add some additional climbing, it's the most direct route, and preferable to damaging sensitive tundra grasses on improvised routes.

The rocky path edges around the top of Tyndall Glacier (4.5 miles : 12,318'), a useful landmark and beginning of the turn up to Hallett Peak. Continue on as if you were to summit Hallet, but break south and continue toward Otis at 4.7 miles (12,475').

Here you'll drop to a long saddle between Hallett and Otis Peak with a terrific look down Chaos Canyon (5.5 miles : 12,096'). Glass the open tundra for herds of elk and bighorn sheep, which are fairly common during summer months. Follow the saddle up, and scramble across the arete (6.3 miles : 12,287') to the summit of Otis Peak (6.0 miles : 12,486').

Views from the summit include Taylor Peak (13,153'), Longs Peak (14,259'), Notchtop Mountain (12,129'), Ptarmigan Point (12,363'), Andrews Peak (12,565'), and portions of the Mummy Range, Never Summer Range and Grand Lake area. Andrews Tarn lies just below Andrews Glacier, but it's difficult to see without potentially hazardous maneuvering.