The Wild Road to Bald Mountain in Summit County
Bald Mountain is a high mountain peak at an elevation of 3.955m (12,975ft) above the sea level, located in Summit County, in the U.S. state of Colorado. It’s one of the highest mountain roads of Colorado.
Set high in the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains, the road to the summit, also known as Baldy Mountain and Mount Baldy, is totally unpaved. It’s called Baldy Road (County Road 520). A 4WD vehicle with good ground clearance is required. Accessibility is largely limited to the summer season. It is not generally snow-free until late June or even July in some years. Don’t get confused: there are 27 mountains in Colorado bearing the official name “Bald Mountain”.
Near the summit there’s a solar powered communications shack. After you pass an electrical hut with radio antennas, the road will come to an end. Located within Arapaho National Forest, the road is an old mining trail. The summit offers some of the best 360-degree views in the state. However, altitude sickness is a potential danger as well as afternoon thunderstorms. Expect cooler temperatures, strong sun, and wind in this completely exposed environment.
The road to the summit is very steep, hitting a 23.3% of maximum gradient through some of the ramps. Starting at County Road 528, the ascent is 5.63km (3.5 miles) long. Over this distance the elevation gain is 697 meters. The average gradient is 12.38%
Pic: Brandon Williams