Keyhole Route

This is easily the most popular route on Long's Peak seeing somewhere between 10,000 to 15,000 ascents in 2021 alone (according to Colorado Fourteeners Initiative hiking data from the year), and it is by far the easiest. Besides being able to follow the typical conga line of scramblers to the summit, spray-painted bullseye markers are found starting at the Keyhole and snaking all the way around the mountain as you go, making routefinding trivial. As alpine routes go, this is a great first step for the budding mountain scrambler.

From The Keyhole, travel south following the bullseye markers as they traverse across the lower west face (The Ledges). There should be a fairly defined trail that slowly ascends until eventually the markers lead into a gully called the Trough (0.3 miles from The Keyhole). Go up the Trough until it meets the southwest ridge on the climber's right. Follow a ledge called the Narrows as it traverses the south face. The bullseyes will lead to a ramp called the Homestretch, the crux of the route. Scramble up the Homestretch all the way to the summit.

The most likely descent is to follow the route back the way you came, although theoretically you could rappel the Cables Route if you brought a rope and were so inclined.

Start by hiking 6 miles from the Long's Peak Trailhead up the Long's Peak Trail. Head southwest across The Boulderfield, a large talus field that has various campsites and a privy, towards the obvious notch in the ridge looker's right of the summit. A stone shelter can be found just before passing through The Keyhole, named for Agnes Vaille, who sadly passed away during the first winter ascent of the peak in 1925 as the result of a fall, while her partner Walter Kiener went for help. The route begins after passing through this notch to the west face.

Guides will sometimes short-rope their clients, but this route is best done solo so as not to cause a traffic jam.