Mount Royal

Mount Royal

The Mount Royal hike has amazing views overlooking the town of Frisco. It is a hard challenge with a steep climb but if you finish it is worth it.

Getting Started

The hike begins on the Ten Mile Rec path, a paved path running parellel with Main St. You will be on this path for about a half mile and it is flat! This will be the last flat part of the hike so enjoy it. Near the lot you will cross over Ten Mile Creek. The Creek is beautiful but it was cold so apologies for the shaky hand.

Mount Royal Trail

At the half mile mark you will see the trailhead to get to Mount Royal. As soon as you get on the trail the incline will begin. This first section of the trail has a 600 foot elevation gain in .7 miles. Grades are consistently in the mid 20% level here so its a bit steep. The trail is nice and passes through a forest of aspen and pine trees.

The views are also very nice on this lower section of the trail. Here is a look at Mount Victoria from the lower section of the trail.

Just over one mile into the hike you will make a quick turn to the north. This is a short flatter section that you can catch your breath on. You will then make a turn back to the west and the trail will get really steep.

This next section is only .4 miles but you will gain about 500 feet of elevation. The grades are consistently in the low 30% range so its going to be a challenge. The views looking back down the mountain are pretty special from here.

I had to take it very slowly and take a lot of breaks. At one point I was going to sit down but was worried that I would go sledding down the hill like Clark Griswold. That would have been fun but I couldn’t imagine climbing back up the steep grade!

The Peak

At the 1.7 mile mark you will come to a junction. You can either take the trail to Mount Victoria or head to Mount Royal. Mount Royal is only 3/10 of a mile from this point and after a quick incline at the junction the top really flattens out.

At the top of Mount Royal you will be able to walk across a ridge that is wide enough to easily traverse. The views are spectacular looking at the surrounding mountains.

This was one of the most enjoyable ends of a hike I have been on. There was so much room up top to walk around and take in all of the views. Also, it was nice to be on some flatter ground!

Elevation and Distance

 If you don’t have the AllTrails app you might want to check it out, I really love mine. It records your progress and is a great way to search for hikes that are nearby and gives you difficulty measurements. According to AllTrails today’s hike was around 4.32 miles and had a total elevation gain of about 1388 feet including undulations. That put the high point at around 10,496 feet. I was also moving for a total of 2 hours and 34 minutes.

I am a Pro member of AllTrails and love it. If you are interested in the platform, please consider using my affiliate link for AllTrails. It gives me a small commission with no extra cost to you.

Effort

For such a short hike this one really was a steep and wore me out. My legs were burning but it felt great getting this one finished. Here is the step count from my Fitbit.

Terrain

This is a steep hike so that is the first thing to know. The trail was covered with snow today so it was hard to tell for sure. The trail seemed like a solid dirt trail with a few rocks. When you get to the top the terrain is more rocky and there are more tree’s to avoid.

Access

There are a couple access points for the trail. I started right off of I-70 on the Main Street exit for Frisco. The parking area is on Forest drive to the right. This puts you on a paved path that takes you to the trailhead. A couple of Port-o-Potties are available at the parking area.

Wrap Up

For a short hike, Mount Royal really had my legs burning! It is just over 2 miles to the top but it is pretty much a straight shot up a hill with inclines in the mid 30%. That being said, the views on this trail are breathtaking. It seemed that every time I stopped to catch my breath (A lot of times) I was in awe of the views.

I think the snow also added to the enjoyment of this hike. I wore micro-spikes and I am glad I did and don’t think I could have done the trail without them. The spikes made the snow really easy to deal with and even the few icy spots.

Overall, I really enjoyed this hike. It was a great workout because of the elevation gain without being too long. The views were top notch and the day was perfect!

I have added this hike and all of my hikes to my interactive map page you can find here. If you have any suggestions or comments feel free to email me at fatmanlittletrails@gmail.com. You can also follow me on any of the below social media platforms. Happy Hiking!