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Indian Peaks Wilderness · Colorado

Caribou Pass to Arapaho Pass Traverse

A fixed one-night Junco Lake Trailhead → Monarch Lake Trailhead traverse that crosses Caribou Pass and Arapaho Pass before camping in the designated-site-only Caribou Lake zone. This is the Junco-to-Monarch point-to-point trip—not a loop or the reverse itinerary.

Junco Lake to Monarch Lake via Caribou Pass and Arapaho Pass

Read the one night The permit on Recreation.gov

The shape of it

Caribou Pass first; Arapaho Pass second.

Elevation profile of the 14.17-mile Junco-to-Monarch traverse over Caribou Pass and Arapaho Pass, with the one Caribou Lake permit-zone point Night 1 permit location at mile 5.25
COTREX Caribou Pass and western Arapaho Pass trail geometry joined at Arapaho Pass, sampled at quarter-mile intervals, and assigned USGS 3DEP ground elevations. The square marks a measured route point inside the one Caribou Lake permit zone, not a reserved campsite; vertical scale is normalized and the graphic is not field navigation.

  1. First pass · mile 3.75

    Caribou Pass ≈12,100 ft route crest The Junco approach reaches the trip high point before the short, exposed pass-to-pass segment.

  2. Second pass · mile 4

    Arapaho Pass 11,906 ft Turn west from the pass and begin the switchback descent toward Caribou Lake.
  1. Junco Lake Trailhead Exact catalog entry
  2. Meadow Creek / old road Follow the Caribou Pass approach
  3. Columbine Lake junction Remain on Caribou Pass Trail
  4. Caribou Pass First named pass
  5. Pass-to-pass Caribou Trail High narrow segment
  6. Arapaho Pass Second named pass · 11,906 ft
  7. Caribou Lake Zone Night 1 · watched
  8. Coyote Park / Arapaho Creek West-side descent
  9. Monarch Lake Trailhead Exact catalog exit
Route length
≈14 miles
Directional climb
≈2,100 ft gain
High point
≈12,100 ft
This watch
1 permit zone
This itinerary
1 night / 2 trail days

This exact trip leaves Junco Lake, crosses Caribou Pass, follows the high Caribou Trail to Arapaho Pass, descends to the Caribou Lake permit zone for Night 1, then exits at Monarch Lake. The named order—not the title alone—defines the route.

From Junco, begin on the old road around the meadow and stay on the Caribou Pass Trail at the Columbine Lake branch. Cross Caribou Pass first, then continue on the pass-to-pass Caribou Trail toward Arapaho Pass. Current mapped evidence places the route crest near 12,100 feet; the official map labels Arapaho Pass itself at 11,906 feet.

Descend the switchbacks from Arapaho Pass to the Caribou Lake zone for the one fixed permit night. Continue west through the Coyote Park and Arapaho Creek corridor to Monarch Lake Trailhead. The official geometry sheet describes about 750 feet of descent from Arapaho Pass to the lake and approximately nine miles from the lake to Monarch, but it is not a daily schedule or navigation plan.

Night by night

One night at Caribou Lake

This Junco-to-Monarch traverse crosses both named passes before the one monitored night. The permit reserves the Caribou Lake zone; the numbered small-group campsite remains a first-come field choice.

  1. N1

    Caribou Lake Zone

    Designated-site-only backcountry zone · advance reservation

    Leave Junco Lake Trailhead, cross Caribou Pass and Arapaho Pass in that order, then descend to the reserved Caribou Lake zone for the one camping night.

    Over
    Caribou Pass and Arapaho Pass
    Camp elevation
    ≈11,150 ft at the lake
    Water
    Treat natural sources

    On the ground. Use one of the marked small-group sites 2–12. They are first come, first served after the zone permit is secured; the reservation does not assign a numbered site.

The permit

How this one-zone permit actually works

This watch combines the full-season and three-day-ahead Indian Peaks Wilderness overnight permit pools for Caribou Lake. The zone permit, numbered campsite, two vehicle arrangements, and live route conditions remain separate planning problems.

One exact zone-date
Caribou Lake must be available for the saved trip start date and supported party size. Another zone does not complete this watch.
June 1 through September 15
Current guidance requires an overnight permit for every Indian Peaks backcountry zone used for camping during the permit season.
Watch range one through twelve
Wild Chime selects the Recreation.gov individual permit option for one through seven people and the group permit option for eight through twelve.
The permit selects the zone
Small-group sites 2–12 are first come, first served. A Caribou Lake permit does not assign a numbered site, tent pad, or lakefront position.
Two permit pools, one saved zone
This watch evaluates the full-season and three-day-ahead Recreation.gov permit pools independently, then links an opening to the permit pool where it appeared.
Access is separate
Junco and Monarch are separate fee-area trailheads. Each parked vehicle needs valid pass coverage, and the wilderness permit provides no passenger transfer.
Print before the trip
Printing opens seven days before entry. Once issued, the permit cannot be changed or canceled, and returned inventory has no promised release minute.

Primary planning intent

The Junco-to-Monarch permit plan.

Direction and endpoints matter: this is a point-to-point trip with one Caribou Lake night, not a loop.

What is the exact direction?

Start at Junco Lake Trailhead, cross Caribou Pass and Arapaho Pass, and finish at Monarch Lake Trailhead. Reversing those endpoints is a different itinerary.

Caribou Pass Trail

Is trailhead access included?

No. Junco Lake and Monarch Lake have separate approach, road, parking, and fee considerations; verify both ends before arranging the vehicle shuttle.

Monarch Lake Trailhead

Hard-won

Worth knowing before you go

Permit, campsite, and two-trailhead details that are easy to miss on this one-night traverse.

Identity

This is a point-to-point traverse

A Monarch-to-Junco trip, a Junco-return loop, or a Fourth of July approach is a different route and catalog trip.

Exposure

Both passes come before camp

The high, narrow pass-to-pass segment and the steep Arapaho descent precede the fixed Caribou Lake night.

Camping

The zone is not a site number

The permit selects Caribou Lake; small-group sites 2–12 remain first-come field choices marked on the ground.

Fire

Use a stove-only plan

Campfires are prohibited year-round at Caribou Lake, and temporary restrictions may be broader.

Transfer

Arrange the return independently

No reviewed official source supplies a Junco-to-Monarch passenger transfer. Confirm the pickup or vehicle plan before the trip.

Vehicles

Cover both trailheads

Junco and Monarch are separate ANRA fee areas. A vehicle pass is not a parking reservation or a road-access guarantee.

Questions

Caribou–Arapaho traverse, asked and answered

Which direction does this exact traverse use?

Junco Lake Trailhead comes first, followed by Caribou Pass, Arapaho Pass, Caribou Lake for Night 1, and Monarch Lake Trailhead.

Is this a loop or a reverse-direction watch?

No. The catalog trip is a Junco-to-Monarch point-to-point traverse. A return to Junco or a Monarch start is a different itinerary.

Does the Caribou Lake permit assign a numbered campsite?

No. It reserves the Caribou Lake zone. Eligible small-group sites are chosen first come, first served in the field.

Which physical sites fit this watch?

The current designated-campsite map assigns sites 2–12 to small groups and Site 1 to groups of 8–12. Those field-site rules are distinct from the party-sized Recreation.gov permit option Wild Chime watches.

Does this watch cover the three-day permit option?

Yes. It watches the matching full-season and three-day-ahead permit pools independently for Caribou Lake.

Does the permit include parking or a trailhead transfer?

No. Each parked vehicle needs its own valid fee coverage, and parking, road access, and passenger transportation must be arranged and verified separately.

Keep the intent distinct

More trips in Indian Peaks Wilderness.

Compare exact permit-night orders rather than substituting a nearby route or reversing the dates.

Exact-trip availability

Watch Caribou Pass to Arapaho Pass Traverse.

Start with this exact direction, overnight order, and the permit locations that fit the saved party. Wild Chime reports qualifying openings; it never books or holds them.

Create this trip’s watch

For this exact one-night trip and one saved permit zone across two permit pools.

Review the current permit on Recreation.gov