With easy access from the Front Range, Mount Sherman is a Class 2 14'er that makes for a great day hike in Colorado's Mosquito Range. Standing at 14,036 feet, this peak provides beautiful views of the surrounding areas. The east route tends to be busier because there is easy access from Fairplay and a direct ascent to the summit. This west approach from Iowa Gulch is less busy, slightly longer, and it has several old mining sites along the way.
From the unmarked trailhead at the small parking lot along Four Mile road, the Mount Sherman Trail traverses down the steam bed toward the scree field at the base of the mountain. It takes some route finding to follow the cairns placed along the boulder field, but it is mostly self evident.
Once past the scree field, the trail ascends quickly up a gully and switchbacks up to 13,100 feet at the saddle. At this juncture, the trail heads north toward the now exposed summit of Mount Sherman. The east route from Fairplay also intersects at this point. As a detour, hikers can also scramble up 13,748-foot Mount Sheridan.
The main route up Mount Sherman climbs another 950 feet up a series of steep, rocky switchbacks. The last 500 feet of vertical is mostly boulders and involves light scrambling to the summit. The top of the mountain is flat and large, providing plenty of room for visitors to sit and enjoy the views. With any summit this high, it is recommended to bring several layers including gloves, as it does get quite windy and cold. The entire hike up Mount Sherman from Iowa Gulch takes about 3.5 hours and is 4.5 miles round trip.
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