COLORADO – 2023 was a rough year for the 14ers of Colorado. Or it was a great year, depending on who you ask. The Colorado Fourteeners Initiative measured just 260,000 hiker use days on the highest peaks of Colorado throughout 2023, a a 6.8 percent decline from 2022’s estimate, and the lowest since their first report in 2015.
According to the group, the decline can partially be attributed to the Decalibron Loop near Alma, which lasted for much of the season. The loop was closed due to liability concerns with the private landowner, though it’s since been reopened to those who are willing to sign a waiver. Nonetheless, the closure marked a 17,500-day drop (-55%) in the Mosquito Range.
Hiking did drop throughout three of the seven ranges in the state, including the Front Range closest to Denver. Both Mount Bierstadt and Quandry Peak remained at the top of the most-used list, both tallying in the 25,000-30,000 hiker days range. Hiker numbers peaked in 2020, with 415,000 hiker days throughout the pandemic summer.
An estimated 57 percent of all statewide 14er hiking use took place on the 12 peaks closest to Denver, while the other 46 peaks saw just 112,000 hiker days. Hiking use increased in the Tenmile Range, Sangre de Cristo Range, and the Elk Mountains, but decreased in the Mosquito Range, San Juan Mountains, and Front Range.