The drive up the canyon takes about 45 minutes even though it is only about 13 miles one way.
Distance: 5 miles RT
Elevation gain: 945 ft
Time: 2-4 hours
Dog friendly? Yes, off leash
Kid friendly? Yes, ages 9+
Fees/Permits? None
The original plan was to hike the most popular route, which is on starting on the other side of this mountain, then hiking South to North to the South Tent saddle. As soon as we drove up to this spot, we both said, "Wow, that ridge looks amazing. Maybe we should just do the whole thing??" We agreed to change plans, and parked near the end of the ridge (the northern most area), where the road splits off a little, and start hiking from there. Check out my map below to see where we parked and started hiking. North Tent is on the right, South Tent is on the left. This is looking South.
We found a pull out for the truck, and begin hiking towards the ridge. There's no trail for this section, we just aimed up.As we reached the lower section of the ridge we actually caught a trail! We weren't expecting that at all, but it was sure nice to see. You can make out the trail faintly here.
Stopping to catch our breath, and the view below us was amazing. So green!
After hiking up the ridge and following the faint trail, we came to this first really nice overlook. That road below us is the road most people continue driving to reach the popular starting point for this peak.
Snow on the way up to North Tent Mountain.
After only 1.2 miles we summited North Tent Mountain!
From North Tent Mountain, we simply followed the ridge down to the saddle (again, that is the area where most people hike up to, coming up from the right side of this photo). South Tent Mountain is the peak ahead, and our destination.
Just stay on the ridge, and you should be aiming for South Tent Mountain. This is the last section leading up to the summit.
On the summit of South Tent Mountain! It only took us 1 hour 34 minutes to reach this peak. Not bad for a casual pace! North Tent Mountain is directly behind us.
We signed the summit register, then returned the same way to hike up, along the NW ridge.
Light blue = drive up
Dark blue = hike
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