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Hello,

A friend and I are looking for a 4-5 day trip anywhere in Colorado. We would like to park, hike to a nice lake or other good water source, set up base camp, then climb a couple 13'ers. We are mainly looking for seclusion. We have climbed a couple 14'ers and don't like the crowds. I am just not familiar enough with Colorado to find a nice hike that suits our needs. Please help and thank you all in advance!

Is it more important to get away or go somewhere cool? Cause if you get beta on a website for some place cool people will no doubt know about it and you'll deal with other folks. Remote San Juans is probably the best for both or up north/East where nobody goes.

One thought from my list.
Rocky Mountain NP-
Hike to and camp at Lawn Lake
3-13ers accessible from the lake-Fairchild 13,502 Hagues 13,560 & Mummy 13,425
Once you hit the trail you'll be away from the crowds. Not total seclusion as there are a total of 5 backcountry sites here.

The downside, if it is one, are the rules and the fees.
You'll need to secure a permit, subject to availability-$26, on top of the park entrance fee
You can stay no more than 3 nights in 1 area
You must use a bearproof canister which you can rent here: http://www.scotssportinggoods.com/renta ... -canisters

Here's the park backcountry guide:
http://www.nps.gov/romo/planyourvisit/u ... uide15.pdf

I'm sure there's some other options out there but this one looks like it comes pretty close to what you're looking for.
Good luck!

Go to Wyoming for seclusion. Anywhere other than Garnet canyon in the Tetons or Cirque of Towers in the Winds.

The San Juans (the Weminuche Wilderness, specifically) are a great suggestion. Otherwise, much of the Holy Cross Wilderness (with the exception of Mt. of the Holy Cross itself) is pretty wild and remote, and (from what I've heard) often very rugged and beautiful. The Gores get pretty empty as well, once you get beyond the Booth/Pitkin area. Ditto for the Sangres aside from the Crestone/Challenger and Blanca/Little Bear/Ellingwood regions. Even the Indian Peaks can feel pretty secluded if you go up over the divide, for example to the Lone Eagle cirque. Lots of options, as you can see...your idea to avoid the 14ers is the right one. Otherwise, grab a beer (or two), spend some time with a topo map/google earth, and plan away! Good luck!