Mount Herman Road

The Pike’s Peak Ranger district successfully completed their 201 acre burn in the Ensign Gulch area and now plans to burn an addition 1,500 acres starting this morning at 8 am.

The forest service is conducting a prescribed burn in the area of Ensign Gulch. Depending on weather they may burn between 110-450 acres. The trails in the area may be closed during the burn.

The rut at the monument gate has been filled in. At about mile market 6.5 there is a significant wash out along the shelf portion of the road that could be dangerous if you’re too close to the edge. There is enough room for one vehicle to navigate around it. The other wash outs and ruts between waypoints 2 and 3 have gotten worse from the wear and tear from vehicle traffic.

Took this from Rampart Range Road to get back to the Springs via Monument. Easy, great views along the way. The balanced rock feature was neat. Busy, with some mostly blind and narrow points (mostly on the downhill from waypoint 3). Some people were driving a little too fast, so be careful.

The washboarding between waypoints 1 and 2 has drastically improved. Between waypoints 2 and 3 is definitely the roughest area of the trail. Hopefully with the raining season behind us the trail won’t change anymore this year.

Took Mt Herman rd from Monument today. A few spots the road gets narrow, was pretty busy but usually had room to pull over. There were a few ruts but we got through them just fine. We took rampart range rd out to woodland park.

The washboarding between waypoint 1 and 2 has gotten worse. And there are quite a few significant washouts between waypoints 2 and 3. Lower clearance vehicles will definitely have some issues if we continue to get rain and these washouts deepen.

This is a easy graded dirt road with occasional washouts and exposed rocks following the wet spring. If you're in a built rig, be prepared to get stuck behind cars on summer tires. Lots of campsites along the trails, expect them to be fully occupied on the weekends with the nice weather we've had lately.

First time being on Mount Herman after the closure. On the Monument end, the road seems rougher with the imbedded rocks in the roadway being more exposed due to all the rain. There are also quite a few rutted areas that can get to about a foot deep. Be mindful when in the area. I also noticed quite a lot of roadside campers. The trail is definitely getting busy with the nice weather finally arriving in Colorado. About a mile into the trail from the Monument side, there was a large area of fire damage. Please be responsible when visiting the area, some of us actually live in the area and we would prefer not to lose our houses because of someone else’s stupidity.

Ran up to Rampart Range today and took this on my way there. No notes about the road itself, just that they were doing fire mitigation. This trail will look very different soon.

The road is in good shape, and very pretty at 9:00am with sun and blue skies. A couple of washouts to look out for, but no big deal.

I saw that Mt. Herman re-opened on 30 June after a 6-week closure due to extreme erosion. I drove up on Monday evening and camped near the top, then drove back down this morning (4 July). The road is in fair to good condition. Some washouts and ruts remain but they're all passable in a stock 4WD high clearance vehicle.

Trail has been cleared and reopened in full.

Tried to go to Monument down Mt Herman Rd from Rampart. Signs stated CLOSED. Wish this app showed that as wasted a bunch of time

Trail still closed @ waypoint 2

Checked on the gate today and it is still closed from the Monument side of the trail.

Closed due to washout. Hate is closed. You cannot get through as of today.

The Forest Service has closed the gate on the east side (Monument) of Mt Herman. The trail can not be accessed at all from Monument.

The Pikes Peak Ranger District is temporarily closing a section of Road 320 (beginning at the Mt. Herman and Red Rocks Drive turn off and ending at 320a) for public safety. This closes Waypoints 2-3 and is due to storm impacts which have caused rockslides and washouts. The west side of the trail remains open till the gate.

As noted by the previous poster there is currently a washout from heavy rains that has closed parts of the trail. The trail should be considered impassable for the short term.

Rain has washed most of the road out about one mile into the trail. You may still be able to get around it, but I’m not sure how stable the ground around it is right now.

Even with our recent snow and rain, Mount Herman road is fully dry. Nothing new to report. Be mindful with the warmer weather there will be more people using the road. Slow down and be courteous!

We began the Mount Herman Trail from east to west in the morning; west to east in the afternoon. No issues for maintained vehicles. There are a few ruts that may present a slight challenge to low two-wheel drive vehicles, but not for anything else. The biggest danger is the idiots taking the bends quickly and people that don't understand how to share a road. Overall a very pleasant drive.

Ran it today from Rampart Range down to Monument. Very scenic. Mostly dry. Tight in a few places. Encountered 1 idiot in a Jeep getting sideways through a blind curve as we approached. Near miss. Overall a nice ride.

Just a drive down a country road. Good scenery and lots of places for dispersed camping. Could do it in a Honda civic. Still it took us to some more adventurous trails.

As the snow melts away and the road becomes more accessible, the number of visitors increases. Be prepared to face many other vehicles on a sunny weekend day.

Easy drive, some nice views. Today we encountered a few icy spots and it started snowing in the afternoon - so there may be some snow on the road tomorrow

Not bad, I used it to get to Rampart Range then Balanced Rock

Easy drive. Snow/packed ice on shaded corners.

First trail we did since moving to CO! Easy and fun! Even in the snow!

Took the kids out for a quick trail ride. Due to recent snow fall the majority of the trail is snow packed. The snow is still grippy but could be intimidating for a less experienced driver or someone with less capable tires. Passing oncoming traffic could definitely be an issue in some areas.

Went up today for a short afternoon ride. There were a few spots of ice and snow but nothing to be too concerned with. I only went to waypoint 4 before turning around and heading back to the east.

Mount Herman Road is a nice trail that brings you closer to many other interesting trails and offers short but fun detours. It also provides great mountain views and has interesting boulders and rock formations along the way. The road condition is decent, but beware that afer the first few miles, there is a lot of snow and ice on the road; since that is quite grippy, it should not be much of a problem. Some areas are rather uncomfortable due to being bumpy and/or suffering from washboarding. Even in winter, the trail was pretty well frequented, so be prepared to let oncoming traffic pass. What might be relevant or even problematic for some: Significant parts of the trail are shelf roads.

Most of the trail, once you get into the woods, had snow on it and it was compacted pretty well. There were a few slick spots where you would expect but we didn't have any issues.

No issues on the road, small areas of snow but nothing that causes any challenges. Able to get from the bottom to rampart quickly.

Fun dirt road with amazing views. Some patches of ice at the time of this review.

I connected this trail with Rampart Range for a fun family drive with amazing views. There were some dispersed camping on Mount Herman Road, but nowhere near the amount you’ll find on Rampart Range. There was snow on the ground during my visit, which added a little more fun factor to the journey.

Fall colors are pretty much done this year.

I was in the area patrolling trails for updates and used this to get back and forth from Rampart today. Always some pretty views coming down.

Decided to do a day of exploring in my backyard so to speak. Started at bottom of Mount Herman road and worked my way up Rampart Range Road. It was a nice day and the weather was pleasant. It was not a difficult trail, but I do think that it being a shelf road almost the entire length it should be included in the Concern list for those who are not comfortable with them. It is a bit narrow in some spots.

Trail is dry and easy. No issues with our 4runner with a 3" lift and 33s. Ran it with a heavily modified Jeep, 22' Power Wagon 2500, stock 3rd Gen Tacoma, and a 4Runner TRD ORP. Large boulders and small land slides have been cleared that were near the beginning of the trail from the Monument entrance.

I drove up Mount Herman Road (FS 320) to access roads on the Rampart Range to make some updates. The road is in good condition overall, much less rutted than secondary roads. FS320 is very wash-boarded on the low section (between WP 1 and WP 2). There are some small rock slides between WP 2 and WP 3 (see photo of the 30"diameter rock in road).

I did this trail in an afternoon with my wife, very easy, great sights and some spots to camp dispersed or take a hike.

Trail was easy and dry. Stock vehicles with low clearance will need to take it slow for some parts of the trail due to sharp rocks and very minor ruts. Started from Rampart and exited out to Monument. Drove straight through in about an hour going 10-20mph (taking our time).

A few inches fell today during our trash clean up, will definitely melt out fast with the warm weather on the horizon. The washboarding has gotten worse from last year. The local residents were out enjoying the new snow as well.

Totally open, I was getting a little bit of snow fluries while I was there, but nothing effecting the trail.

Trail is dry and very passable. Saw a little snow on the north facing shoulders at the higher elevations but nothing impacting the trail. Easy to get up to Rampart if that is the goal.

Plenty to slush on the road today, nothing horrible to report.

My first time on Mt Herman Rd; I can see how in the summer months this would be a very fun and easy drive. Current conditions are snowpack on ice for majority of the drive to the top; recommend airing down a little (heading down was a bit sporty in spots).

Lots of snow right now but I managed with my stock 4runner . Had to go slow on the way down due to slippery compacted snow.

Drove from Beaver Creek Road FS Rd. 315 and connected to Mt. Herman going East. Ran it in the dark. Easy trail, city lights looked great. Burned and looted SUV after WP 2, so that's notable.

Ran the trail twice from Monument to Rampart. I have gone on this trail many times before. There are more wash boards on starting side of Monument, but nothing too bad. Not too busy, there are still a few campers

As usual, easy jump up to Rampart. Road was busy with multiple use, had folks hiking and riding bikes so need to be a little careful when sharing the road. Overall conditions were good, road seemed to be in better shape then previous.

Great trail! Super easy almost any car can go up it. Alot of great views. Ending up driving up Rampart Range Road to shoot my rifle. Pics are of this trail and pit stops on Ranpart Range Road

The eastern side of the road is temporarily closed for some construction work, per Forest Order PSICC-2021-24. Closed until May 28th, or until the order is rescinded. See attached map for area of closure.

Road is open and very passible and quiet this morning. No real mud or anything to worry about. Did stumble on the remnants of a party along the road. Place was trashed and fires left burning with no one around. Thankfully no larger fire issues but a good reminder to make sure everything is put out before you leave. Sad that people treat our public spaces this way.

Nice easy drive and great views. Due to the current conditions 4wd is a requirement.

The snow can be a little thick is some spots, but it is still quite passable. The picture of our Jeep is about the worse the snow gets on the trail. There is ice is some spots so just take it easy and be watchful. A couple Renegades made it through without issue. Still, that being said, take recovery gear with you to be safe.

Calvary 4-Wheelers ran Mount Hermon Road as part of a snow-wheeling run in the Rampart Range area on Saturday, February 20. 2021. Along for the run were me in my mostly stock TJ and Jon in his lifted XJ. We used this trail as access into the Rampart Range area from Monument. There were about 1-2 inches of snow on the lower end gradually increasing to 4-6 inches at the top with a few deeper driftes here and there. The road was well-tracked and mostly snowpacked with a few icy patches and a few slushy/muddy areas. I used high 4x4 for a little more traction and stability but it could be run in 2wd. On the way out at the end of the day the slushy/muddy areas had increased significantly, especially on the lower end.

Mount Herman Road is a great access point to the rampart range trail system during the winter months and there is a ton of camping pull offs and camping spurs throughout the trail. Currently, there is a fair amount of snow on the trail, but because it is so heavily used, this trail is very packed down and passable. Just be smart about the temperatures and time of day to avoid ice.

Very lightly covered with snow, able to make it up to rampart with ease. Saw 2 wheel drive cars making it up without issue.

Trail is getting a bit heavier on the washboards but still a fun way to popup from monument to rampart. There are also a couple of spurs that are a lot of fun to play around on. Decent hill climb with a lot of undulation.

Easy trail. Make sure to check out the short spur roads for a bit more of a challenge and great camping spots with views. We checked out the spurs and used the road to get from Monument to Highway 67.

Used it to cross from 25 to Schubarth Trail, quick and easy bounce up to rampart. very easy trail.

Gorgeous fall colors. Beautiful views.

Nice cross over trail from 25 to Rampart if coming down through monument. Has some great views and is pretty wide for passing in both directions.

Great way to exit Rampart Range road. No obstacles, just a dirt road. Beautiful views, especially from Rampart to Monument.

I drove from Monument to Beaver Creek Road on my way in and out of the Rampart Range area. This isn't my favorite drive, but it's the best way into the system from where I live. The views don't suck though and anyone looking for some scenery should run through here at least once.

Drove up from Monument on my way to Woodland Park. The trail is open and decent shape, the traffic was light thanks to it being a weekday.

Was a great ride with beautiful views. Watch out for the bikers and hikers.

Second trek up Mt. Herman this year but was finally able to make it up to rampart and over to balanced rock to the south. Entire area is dry and rutted, everything very easy to bounce over even in a compass trailhawk. Really want to take the right at top to take the 300 north to Sedalia but was worried might be closed further up. Also noticed at the T for 300 on the summit when turning north it looked fairly janky and deep rutted, would be interested to know if it levels out a bit just past the camping area.

Beautifully scenic way to access lower Rampart, with some nice dispersed camping spots up the mountain. Roads were dry, and a little rutted/washed out in areas, but would be easily traversed in something even as mild as a stock Forester or Outback.

This was a great place to test out the new truck. Waypoint 4 is a great place to drive around for a bit and get photos on some rocks.

Good trip today! Only mistake is when I connected to 300 (Rampart Range Road), I went north instead of south....had lot of snow/ice with some slide areas, but ruts were good.....but....way up north on 300 gate was closed so couldn't make it to connect to 67 and to Sedalia. Had to turn around and take 300 all the way south back to Woodland Park.

Used this road to get over to Rampart and Balanced Rock. It was snow packed the entire way. The eastern side was very tracked out and just hard packed snow pretty much the entire way up. It was very icy in the morning too. After the second gate, there were less tracks and the snow was much deeper. Still passable, just significantly different than the eastern side out of town. Made our way back down this in the evening after dark. It was again pretty icy coming back down into town, but the flat section at the beginning had thawed a lot during the day leaving behind a lot of slush and muddy water holes. Great views of the city at night! And the views of Pikes Peak during the day were great too!

Fun and easy road with snow after the first 5 miles making for a fun winter run. Also a few nice hikes off this road to stretch your legs. Bring spikes in the winter if hiking.

Nice way to get to Monument from Rampart Range. Not sure why it would be a 1-2. It’s a little bumpy but I couldn’t find any 2 areas. Casa Foesta restaurant at the bottom of the hill has the best Carnitas I’ve ever had.

Came up thru Mt Herman road to head North on Rampart and to Ice Cave Road and Rampart was mostly thawed. In the morning Mt Herman Road had quite a bit of ice so the uphill was pretty slow moving. The way back in the afternoon was mostly all thawed out and muddy. Lots of abandoned vehicles unfortunately. Hopefully someone will come snag them soon.

Went up last weekend in search of Balanced Rock. Didn't brave the snow just past the second gate. Went up today after a few warm days this week thinking the snow would have melted a tad. Not sure if that's the case, but the ruts were manageable. Made it to BR. Then it snowed. Was socked the entire way back. Beautiful drive!

Open and dry to upper gate. 2-3 foot deep snow between just after the gate to balanced rock. Was able to make it going up hill with 35s and locker. Abandoned car off the road at balanced rock. Forest service may need some help getting it out. Area is trashed, needs some serious clean up help. Filled 2 trash bags while up there

Great time on Mt Herman Rd today. Sunny and 68 degrees. Only took a short trip up to upper gate but it was open. Some snow patches and ruts at the top. Very minimal rutting on the way up. Lots of other vehicles out there. I guess everyone is looking for a trail to hit now that the snows are mostly gone.

The road up to the second gate was fine but shortly after that there was too much snow to pass. Several stuck jeeps less than a quarter mile past the second gate. I took my rzr turbo here. Still not fully sure if that was allowed.

Trail was open today and we had a great time. In Texas we don't get to see any snow covered trails, and we were able to travel the entire trail today. 51° today with bright blue sky. I would could drive this again lots to see. Forecasting lots of snow over the few days might make it impassable.

Trail was just starting to become passable but the spurs off of this trail are still too snow covered. There are at least two abandoned vehicles along the trail that have been there for some time.

Mt Herman Road was snow packed today from Monument to Rampart Range Road, with some small bare patches that had grown by afternoon when we came back down. A few miles up from Monument we came across a 11-12" high rock sitting right in the middle of the road. It must have arrived shortly before we did because there were no tire tracks going around it. Had to roll it off to the side. The scenery was gorgeous with a few inches of snow on the ground.

We came off Rampart Range on Mt Herman today as the sun was going down. The show is packed as of today but that can change quickly. Snow starts about a mile in from the trailhead near Monument.

I drove Mount Herman Road on Friday, August 24th, 2018 in order to update the GPS track, photographs, and make a new highlight video. The road is dry and relatively good condition, however, there are significant ruts and one deep washout below (downhill from) Waypoint 3 (upper gate).

The road was BONE dray today. maybe a few small patches of snow/ice left in the shadowy crevices on the North side of a boulder. Otherwise totally passible and I even saw some brave soles driving it in WD cars. Its a rough road for sure.

Super Dry, Maybe a few spots where there was snow tucked up against the North side of a rock or ledge, Otherwise the rod was bone dry. A bit pitted at the top. Passable with a 2WD, but some of the rocks poking through where a bit high. Avoid them or have something with a bit more ground clearance. We used this trail to get to another Schubarth trail for a day trip and to sort out a few things on our XJ build.

Ran Mount Herman today expecting to do some snow wheeling and the road was almost completely dry. There were a few patches of very minor snow here and there, but nothing that would cause any issues even for a passenger car. The only place there was any substantial snow was on the connecting trail, FR. 315, and only for about a mile of that trail. I had fun testing my new Jeep's suspension on the whoop-de-dos on some of the side spurs, but Mount Herman Road itself would easily have been passable by a 2WD car today.

Drove down Mount Herman Road after spending the day on Metberry Gulch with the Colorado Land Cruisers (Colorado Springs). Road conditions are packed snow and ice over 50%. Lesser portions are clear and dry where there is adequate sunlight.

Drove down Mount Herman Road off of Rampart Range Road (FS Road 300) after patrolling roads for the USFS/Pike's Peak Ranger District (Christmas tree cutting event). The upper portion of the road is completely clear and dry. The portion between the balanced rock and the lower FS Gate has a few sections that are packed snow/ice. There are also numerous deep ruts (10 to 12 inches), particularly in some of the blind curves--use extra caution going around curves and proceed slowly over these ruts.

Drove down Mt Herman Road from Rampart Range at sunset. It led to some amazing photo ops and a lovely end to our wheeling evening. Other than the graffiti, there's nothing to note new on the trail.

Did the trail with a group over the Labor Day Weekend. The trail itself was in decent condition it is mostly washboard. Easy trail can be handled in a stock vehicle if you stay on the main route. Not a lot of traffic until hit Rampart Range Road. Did encounter several bicyclists along Mt Herman Road. Scenery is spectacular especially the views of Monument.

Took a quick drive up Mt Herman Rd to play on the rocks near waypoints 4 and 5. This is my standard route when driving to Woodland Park and the trails to the west. The trail itself offers great views, but it is mostly washboard all the way to Rampart Range Rd. The greatest obstacle is heavy traffic in both directions and cars that park on the road while accessing the hiking trails. Watch for drivers with poor trail discipline/etiquette as this trail is passable in low clearance cars.

Nice day on the trail with plenty of traffic. Watch for wildlife, we had a deer and a very young baby pop out on trail.

Nice trip up Mount Herman. We actually didn't think it would be open all the way through, but there is very little snow on the trail. The snow that is there is cut all the way and there are just some wet portions of the road. Stockers can get all the way through to Rampart Range.

A small group of Toyota's used Mount Herman Road to descend the Rampart Range after a larger group outing to Metberry Gulch on Saturday, February 18th. Conditions on Mount Herman Road were packed snow at the top, and gradually drier toward the lower elevations. From the midpoint down to Monument, the road is almost completely dry.

Descended Mount Herman Road late in the afternoon on Saturday, November 19, 2016. Much of the snow which came on Thursday had melted, except in places where shaded by trees. The road conditions were good, the surface was not as severely wash-boarded as Rampart Range Road.

Road was rather busy this afternoon with a lot of traffic into the mountains late in the day. Trails is open all the way through with no snow or dampness.

We drove Mt Herman from Rampart Range to come home. The trail is as reported above and I noticed no changes to the trail from the last time it was ran. We found the tree that we had an unfortunate run in with last fall and had to stop to pick up parts of my old fender still at the bottom of the tree there. Cleaning up after ourselves almost a year later just because we stopped and these pieces had been buried in snow we slid into.

Drove Mount Herman Road on Friday evening to access Rampart Range Road and then west via Hotel Gulch to the Trout Creek area. Started late in the evening after work, so it was approaching dark when we climbed Mount Herman Road. Mostly cloudy conditions with intermittent rain showers, but that didn't distract from the fantastic views over the valley. Encountered surprisingly little traffic, maybe six vehicles total on our ascent. Found numerous campers toward the top; a small group (3 trucks) were setting-up on the knoll above the seasonal gate. These guys were in a good position to view the Perseids Meteor shower when the clouds finally dispersed.