Mount Arthur

Overview

Mount Arthur is the companion peak to Mount Garfield, sitting just to the east-northeast of its higher, ranked neighbor. While lower than Mount Garfield and unranked, Mouth Arthur features an interesting summit area studded by giant boulder piles of Pikes Peak granite. From the summit of Mount Arthur, one can contemplate two intriguing contradictions: The urban-wild interface where the Colorado Springs metro area meets the more wild lands to the west, and the plains-mountains interface, where the Great Plains of North America crash up against the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains.

The summit of Mount Arthur affords exceptional views of surrounding peaks, including local superstars Pikes Peak, Mount Rosa, and Cheyenne Mountain.

Rank: Unranked
Prominence: 227 feet
USGS Quad: Manitou Springs
Trails Illustrated Map: #137 Pikes Peak, Cañon City

Rank and Prominence Information Source: Lists of John

Getting There

Mount Arthur is very near to the city of Colorado Springs, sitting juts to the west-southwest of downtown in the Pikes National Forest. The mountain is most commonly accessed from “the big dirt parking lot” for Captain Jacks, Seven Bridges Trail and Jones Park Trail, accessed via Cheyenne Canyon.

Red Tape

There is very little red tape in this part of the Pike National Forest. In fact, some sectors of this area can feel downright lawless Wild West at times. There are no fees for parking or accessing this area.

• Do not litter and dispose properly of human waste.
• Shoot only in designated target ranges and point your firearm away from other recreationalists.
• Operate motorized vehicles only on roads and trails designated for motorized use.

Camping & Lodging

CAMPING
Mount Arthur is very close to the Colorado Springs Metropolitan Area, and not terribly far from Denver, particularly the southern suburbs. Most visitors to Mount Arthur will come for the day then return home. However, below are some lodging details for those visiting from outside the area.

A few campsites are available in the lower reaches of the ascent gully leading to the saddle between Mount Garfield and Mount Arthur. Specifically, just upstream from Loud’s cabin is a nice campsite in a level area with rustic wooden/log benches, a fire pit, and proximity to the stream or spring for water.


Rustic camping in “unofficial” campsites is available throughout the Pike National Forest, along the Rampart Range Road area, right off the main road and spur dirt roads off of it. These campsites are available on a first-come, first served basis and provide no services (they are entirely rustic). Be forewarned that proximity to the urban I-25 corridor means that crowding can be an issue, especially in the summer, and that unsavory characters are known to frequent this area. Be prepared for heavy ATV use, large crowds, drunkenness and casual firearms usage.

The nearest semi-developed US Forest Service campsites would be in the Rampart Reservoir area.






Meadow Ridge Campground:

• 19 campsites


• 9,200 feet elevation


• Season: Generally early May through September


• $15 per night, per site


• Amenities include tables, fire grates, drinking water, latrines, and trash collection

Thunder Ridge Campground:

• 21 campsites


• 9,200 feet elevation


• Season: Generally early May through September


• $15 per night, per site


• Amenities include tables, fire grates, drinking water, latrines, and trash collection

The National Forest Service operates three general-use campgrounds in its Manitou Park Recreation Area. The Manitou Park Recreation Area is located about 5 miles north of Woodland Park along Hwy 67. Below is information about these campgrounds as provided by the Forest Service.

Campground	Commentary
South Meadows Campground	Site has 64 camp sites with parking areas up to 30' long within the 8,000' elevation. Camping season is year round with a user fee of $15.00/per night/per site. The camp-ground has paved roads. Limited sites are reserved by calling 1-877-444-6777. Reservations may be made 240 days prior to arrival and there is a reservation fee. There is also a 2-night minimum stay if your reservation is for Friday or Saturday nights.
Colorado Campground	Site has 81 campsites with parking areas up to 30' long within the 7800' elevation. Camping season usually begins late May and runs until early September. The user fee is $15.00 per night/per site. This campground has paved roads. Limited site reservations can be made 240 days prior to arrival by calling 1-877-444-6777. There is a reservation fee. There is also a 2-night minimum stay if your reservations are for Friday or Saturday night.
Painted Rocks Campground	Area has 18 campsites with parking areas up to 30' long within the 7800' elevation. Camping season usually begins in May and runs through early September. A user fee of $13.00 per night/per site is charged. Limited sites are reserved by calling 1-877-444-6777 and can be made 240 days prior to arrival. There is a reservation fee.

HOTELS

Old Colorado City
Nearby Old Colorado City has an assortment of lodging options, old and new, for all budgets. Restaurants, bakeries and shops are within strolling distance from many lodging facilities.
Manitou Springs
A wide variety of hotels, cabins and bed and breakfasts are available in Manitou Springs. For more information about area accommodations, visit The Historic Manitou Springs Visitor Information page.

Colorado Springs
The hotel options in Colorado Springs are virtually limitless. If you are the 5-star luxury type, be sure to check out The Broadmoor, which is extremely convenient to the eastern terminus of Old Stage Road.

Weather & Seasons

Mount Arthur is a year-round mountain. In the summer, expect crowded trails, competition for parking spots and a lot of dirt bikes on primary routes. This is a beautiful snow season outing, but be forwarned that due to natural springs along Trail 3667 and along the social trail up from Jones Park, the trail can be glazed with ice, steep and treacherous. Traction devices (such as Yak Trax, Stabilicers, MicroSpikes, etc.) are highly recommended.

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Images

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