Hiking Trails in Colorado | Oh-Be-Joyful Trail

Trail Information

Trail Name: Oh-Be-Joyful TrailOh-Be-Joyful Trail

Location: West of Crested Butte, Colorado

Date: July 19, 2020

Time at the Trail Head: 9:00 am

Trail Length: 11.2 miles

Elevation Gain: 1,676 feet

Elev. at Trail Head: 9,103 feet

# of Hikers Passed: 40

# of Mnt. Bikers Passed: 0

# of Horses Passed: 0

Mosquitoes: 0

Trail Research

Today was another research mistake. We were planning on hiking the Three Lakes Trail, west of Crested Butte, but we took the wrong turn, actually put in the wrong GPS location, and ended up at the Oh-Be-Joyful Recreation Area and campground.

We were both glad we took the wrong turn as this looks like a great place to camp, especially in the fall, when the aspens are turning yellow.

Drive to the Trail

The drive from Castle Rock to Crested Butte is absolutely stunning. The drive took us through Colorado Springs, Lake George, Buena Vista, Monarch, Gunnison and Crested Butte. There are so many beautiful views along the way and here are several photos along the route, but mostly when we reached Crested butte.

The first photo is west of Lake George, by Badger Mountain.

Drive to Crested Butte Colorado

This photo is when we were south of Crested Butte Colorado, looking north to Crested Butte Mountain.

Crested Butte Mountain Colorado

The rest of these photos are northwest of Crested Butte, on the drive to the trail.

Drive to Oh-Be-Joyful Trail
Drive to Oh-Be-Joyful Trail

Drive to Oh-Be-Joyful Trail

Drive to Oh-Be-Joyful Trail

My Day on the Trail

We arrived at the trailhead and were actually still confused and thought they had closed the road to the trail. I later found out that we were in the wrong location. We had decided to head back to Gunnison, thinking we would have a long hike, but this just goes to show you that we all make mistakes.

It was still a gorgeous day and the drive was spectacular.

We did not make the hike here at the Oh-Be-Joyful Trail, but here are a few photos of what you can expect to see on the hike.

Oh-Be-Joyful Trail
Oh-Be-Joyful Trail

This trail is classified as hard and 11.2 miles long, so be ready for a long day hike, or plan an overnight backpacking trip.

Lessons Learned

Make sure to do a thorough job of researching the trail and information on the town you will be traveling through.

The storms really pick up in the afternoons in Colorado in July and August so make sure you include some good rain gear.

Another thing to consider is the traffic on the weekend, going into the mountains or coming out of them. We made this drive extremely early on Sunday morning, and the traffic very light, however, we headed home at 2 pm and we were stuck in traffic, driving 5 mph for over 20 miles from Florissant to Divide.

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I would love to know if you have had any experience on this trail or have other trails you love to hike. Leave a Comment Below or send me an Email.

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Oh-Be-Joyful Trail

9.2

Scenic Drive

9.5/10

Accessibility

9.5/10

Mountain Views

9.0/10

Lake or Stream Views

9.0/10

Well Maintained Trails

9.0/10

Pros

  • Easy Access
  • Grand Views
  • Incredible Drive
  • Mountain Views
  • Crested Butte Colorado

Cons

  • Long Trail for a Day Hike

4 thoughts on “Hiking Trails in Colorado | Oh-Be-Joyful Trail”

  1. Love the pictures it just tells me how I will love and enjoy the experience. I love the name. Its a quick read and also it is giving me ideas about where to go to chill out. Nothing to change. Well done. Also, the right clothes for the experience is a bonus and I thought in summers there were no storms. Does it get really hot?

    Reply
    • It’s always best to hit the trail as early as possible in Colorado, especially in July and August. A lot of storms will pop up in the afternoon hours. It’s best to start your hike before sunrise if you’re planning on hiking some 13,000 and 14,000 foot peaks.

      The temperatures in the afternoon will usually get to around 75 or 80 degrees in the afternoon (in the mountains), but that depends on where you are in Colorado. Denver and Colorado Springs have been near 90 degrees for many days in July this year.

      Also, the sun is more intense in the mountains so make sure you cover up. Sunscreen is important but a long sleeve shirt and sun shade hat are advisable.

      Rick

      Reply

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