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Devils Head Lookout is a short out and back located in Pike National forest. Compared to the length and difficulty of the trail, the hike provides fantastic views of Denver, Colorado Springs, Pikes Peak and Pike National forest. It is a heavily trafficked trail, but for good reason as the summit provides the unique opportunity to climb a fire tower. Devils Head is recommended for beginner hikers or young families.

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Devils Head Lookout Quick Facts

Devils Head Rating: ★★★★ (4/5 Stars)

Distance: 3.10 Miles RT

Elevation Start: 8,800 ft

Summit: 9,750 ft

Total Elevation Gain: 1,000 ft

Estimated Time to Complete: 1-2 Hours RT

Difficulty: Easy What does this mean?

Class: Class 1 – small staircase section at end of hike

Season: April – November (expect seasonal road closures outside of this period)

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Directions to Devils Head Lookout

Trailhead: Devil’s Head Lookout

Getting Here: Devils Head is most commonly accessed from the east through the town of Sedalia, Colorado. Once in Sedalia, take CO 67 S for 9.8 miles until you see the turn off for Rampart Range Road on the left. Rampart Range road is a dirt road, but generally is in good enough condition for a 2WD car to drive. Continue on Rampart Range Road for 8.9 miles until you reach a fork in the road. Take the left side of the fork to continue on to Devils Head. Follow this for about .4 miles until you reach Devils Head campground. Take a right to continue on another .1 miles to the main parking area. You can enter Devils Head Lookout into your favorite navigation device.

Parking: Free parking is available at the base of the trail head. The lot can arguably fit about 30 cars and there is ample parking about ¼ away from the Devils Head camping area if the lot is full. There are non-plumbing bathrooms available at the trailhead. 

Summary

Dogs: You can bring your dog on this hike as they are allowed. Typical to most National forest hiking, dogs should be kept on a leash. The only noteworthy section of the trail as it pertains to dogs would be the tower itself. Due to the steep stairs and limited space at the top, its probably best to leave them out of this section of the hike.

Camping: Car camping is available along Rampart Range Road leading up to the trailhead. This is a very popular spot with outdoor motor sports (ATVs, 4-wheelers, dirt bikes etc.) and most spots fill up quickly on the weekend. There is also a small camping area near the Devils Head trailhead.

Make it a Loop: Devils Head is an out and back with few good trail options in the area to pair. If you own a dirt or mountain bike, bring it along as there are plenty of trails to ride along Rampart Range Road. 

Trail X Factors: Views

Without a doubt, the X-Factor that Devils Head has is the views for the length of the trail. In most cases 360 degree views of mountains and Denver area require a 2 – 3 hour moderate hike. However, Devils Head offers spectacular panoramic views with about half of that hiking time. Of course you need a clear day to access these breath taking views.

Hike Tip(s): The fire tower at the top of Devils Head Lookout is a unique way to summit a mountain, but can get crowded. If there are too many people at the tower, there are several other opportunities to enjoy the scenery. The rock formation directly across from the tower can easily be climbed and has plenty of space to hang out and relax after your hike up. If climbing isn’t your thing, continue down the trail (south) from the tower to access another great spot to enjoy your hike’s conquest.

Best Views: As I believe I have mentioned once or twice, Devils Head provides fantastic aerial views into the surrounding Pike National Forest and Front Range. Bring a wide angle lens or your favorite landscape lens to take advantage of the views in all directions. Since the hike is short, lugging a few different lenses up to this summit should not be a problem.

Our Trip to Devils Head Lookout: June 2016

I have been to Devil’s Head Lookout a few times, but the recent tornado that hit the area  (in July 2015) changed the scenery quite a bit. What used to be a lush section of forest is now several football fields of downed trees and partially cleared logs. The tornado closed the trail for several months, but luckily now the trail is back open to the general public and still as beautiful as ever.

When Jackie and I hike a trail like Devils Head Lookout, we generally arrive super early or later in the afternoon to avoid crowds. We have learned over time that afternoon arrival, especially in the summer, is a risk-reward situation due to the common afternoon thunderstorms in Colorado. Unfortunately, this trip was the risk scenario. When we arrived at the parking lot, the skies were quite ominous and we both knew that rain was coming.

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Luckily, we were able to make the quick / straightforward hike up to the summit before the storms arrived. Unfortunately, the tower was closed when we arrived to the summit. (Side note: Expect the park ranger who works at the tower to be extremely conservative when closing the tower and for good reason. After all, lighting is not something to mess around with, especially in a heavily trafficked area.) Since I had climbed Devils Head a few times, I knew there were alternatives to soak up some of the views before the looming rain soaked us. After snapping several pictures of the neighboring rain clouds (and miserably failing to capture the lighting), we headed back down the trail. Spoiler alert, the rain beat us. About 10 minutes down the trail, the rain started and I spotted a rock outcropping to hang out in while the storms passed. This rock outcropping worked great until the light rain turned to torrential downpours. Our nice little caved turned into a freeway for the water hitting the rocks above.

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Eventually the rain stopped, the clouds cleared, and the sun came back out as if nothing had happened. Welcome to Colorado.

To access Devils Head you do need to drive several miles on a national forest (dirt) access road but the views that this short hike offers are unparalleled. Devils Head will continue to be in my rotation of short hikes and places to take guests when they visit from out of state.

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