At this time, Trail Fiends is not accepting reservations for guided tours as our permit application is under review. Thank you for your patience.

To minimize our environmental footprint, we restrict our group sizes to four people or less. All participants must be 18 years or older. No dogs allowed.

We strongly recommend that everyone in your party thoroughly read this page before participating in a guided hike with us. This page includes critical information that will ensure that your experience with us is a positive one.

Experience the incredible and striking rock formations of Lost Creek Wilderness on this challenging and scenic hike to the aptly named Harmonica Arch. The hike begins with a gentle descent into a valley where we’ll follow the banks of Goose Creek. After that, the trail steepens as we begin our ascent to the summit of a colossal rock dome surrounded by sheer cliffs and impressive rocks formations. From the top, you’ll have a perfect view of the labyrinth of rock formations that form McCurdy Park.

Before you go, here’s a quick breakdown of what to expect.

Total Time: 5 hours roundtrip (accounts for extra time needed for snacks, photos, breaks, and taking in the scenery)

Total Distance: 5.28 miles roundtrip

Elevation Gain: 1,224 feet

Elevation Loss: 1,229 feet

Max Elevation: 9,000 feet

Heights Exposure: High The path up to Harmonica Arch does involve walking by steep cliffs and precipitous drop-offs.)

Pictures really do say it all, so here’s what you can expect to see during your hike to Harmonica Arch!

So now that you have a good idea of what this hike involves, lets get into the nuts and bolts of how we structure our hikes, the gear we provide, what you need to bring, and finally how you can schedule a hike.

Safety first:

Before participating in a guided hike, all of our clients must review and sign our waiver. Your safety is our utmost priority, and we want to make sure that you thoroughly understand the risks associated with our guided hikes. We strongly recommend that all of our participants review our waiver before participating. Click this link to review our waiver.

A journey through time:

Every guided hike includes an in-depth exploration of the area’s unique history presented via podcast and in-person during the hike. From ancient volcanoes and mysterious creeks to ghost towns and gold camps, join us as our guides lead you through the rugged and fascinating history of Lost Creek Wilderness!

Gearing up:

Just to make your adventure a bit more convenient, we provide a few things to make your experience more enjoyable. Here’s a quick list of what we offer for our guided day hikes. All gear will be provided before the hike and must be returned once the hike is over. The memories are yours to keep ;)

Here’s what we provide:

a personalized day pack
a 1-liter water bottle and 1-liter water reservoir
some electrolyte packets
a variety of snacks for you to choose from
trekking poles
bug spray and sunscreen
whistle for safety reasons
a personalized keepsake for you to remember the trip by
ponchos

Now here’s what you need to bring:

any medications you may need during the day hike
hiking boots with good tread for walking in rugged terrain. Nothing ruins a hike faster than a blister, so make sure you take the time to break your boots in before the hike. Don’t make the rookie mistake of buying your boots the night before the hike!
Rain jackets
Weather appropriate clothes for hiking. Colorado weather can change on a dime. Hail storms and sudden drops in temperature are not uncommon in the summer, so we recommend pants and long sleeves. Warm hat or face covering for windy, exposed areas.

Leave No Trace:

All of our guided hikes are designed to minimize our impact on the environment, but we need your help to do that! There are seven rules for preserving our outdoor spaces. Known as Leave No Trace principles, these seven rules are a helpful reminder for how we can enjoy the outdoors responsibly. The seven principles are:

Plan ahead
Travel on durable surfaces
Dispose of waste properly
Leave what you find
Manage campfires
Respect wildlife
Be considerate of other hikers

At the end of the hike, a special prize will be given to a member of your group who can recite these seven principles by heart! To learn more about these principles, follow this link.

When nature calls:

We’d be remiss if we didn’t explain ahead of time what to do in the likely event that someone in your party needs to go potty on the trail. Properly disposing of human waste is extremely important for keeping our forests and streams healthy and being respectful for other hikers. Your guide will come prepared with a bathroom kit that includes toilet paper, a trowel (for digging a hole—more on that later), and hand sanitizer or soap. So here’s a quick breakdown of what to do if you need to go poop or pee in the woods.

You guide will provide you with a potty kit equipped with everything you need to do your business.
You will walk 200 feet or about 70 big steps away from the trail and away from any streams or water resources.
Avoid peeing on delicate plants vegetation because the salt in our urine can attract animals, which will then dig up and kill whatever poor wildflower or fern you urinated on. It’s better if you pee on dead pine needles, bare dirt or a hard durable surface like a rock or something.
If you need to poop, you should first dig a cat hole that is at least six inches deep and 6 inches wide. Colorado soil is very rocky and hard, so try to find a spot that is soft and easy to dig a hole. Next, just squat over the hole and do your business.
WARNING!: Do not let your trowel touch your poop! If you miss the hole, use a stick to push the poop into the hole! Again, keep the trowel away from your poop!
We always pack out our toilet paper! You’ll be provided a special bio-hazard bag for disposing of your toilet paper. Toilet paper can take as long as a few months to a year to decompose.
After you’re done pooping, completely fill in the hole with dirt and tamp it down with your boot. You should also camouflage the spot by covering it with twigs, loose dirt or a rock.
Clean your hands! Your potty kit will include hand sanitizer for you to do this. We’ll also provide biodegradable soap and water for you to wash your hands.

In some cases, such as when you can’t dig a cat hole, we will provide WAG bags for you to poop in. Please refer to the below video for a quick breakdown of how to use a WAG bag.

Risks you should know about:

Your guide will come ready with a first aid kit and wilderness first aid training.

Altitude Sickness: Trail Fiends guided hikes often take place above 8,000 feet. At these elevations, there’s the risk that you may develop an altitude-related illness. This often takes the form of acute mountain sickness, which includes symptoms such as a headache, malaise, loss of appetite, nausea and vomiting. In its more severe forms, altitude sickness can lead to life-threatening fluid build-up in the lungs or even swelling of the brain.
Taking the time to acclimate to altitude will reduce, but not eliminate, your risks of developing altitude sickness. If you and your party are traveling from lower elevations or sea-level, it’s highly recommended that you arrive at higher elevations a few days before your scheduled hike to give your body time to acclimate. Please consult with a medical professional for advice on the subject.
Weather: Colorado weather can be notoriously unpredictable. From sudden dips in temperature to violent afternoon thunderstorms with terrific lightning displays, Colorado weather doesn’t mess around. All hikes begin bright and early in the morning by 7 am to lower the risk of getting caught in one of Colorado’s all-too-common afternoon storms that occur during the summer months. Following the sound of thunder and presence of lightning, the tour will be directed away from exposed areas, solitary trees, ridges or peaks in favor of low-lying, uniformly forested areas where the threat of lightning strikes is lower. Your guide will always monitor the forecast ahead of a trip. Any trips cancelled due to weather will be refunded in full unless the client would like to reschedule.
Insects: Mosquitoes are common in some areas of Lost Creek Wilderness during the warmer months. While your guide will provide insect repellent and nifty mosquito patches, we recommend that your come prepared with your own.
Sunburn: At high-altitudes, the Colorado sun can be particularly intense because the thinner atmosphere filters less ultraviolet radiation. Again, your guide will provide sunscreen, but we always recommend that our customers bring their own.
Trips and falls: While all hikes will take place on designated trails, that doesn’t mean that your hikes will be a walk in the park. Lost Creek Wilderness is a particularly rugged area. Trails are often uneven, tangled with roots and strewn with loose rock and boulders. That said, everyone in your party should come equipped with dependable hiking boots and comfortable, ankle-high socks. Reminder: Do not buy your boots the night before the hike! Always make sure your boots are broken-in ahead of time. Breaking in your boots will reduce, but not eliminate, your risk of a blister.
Getting Lost: There are many cases of hikers venturing only a short distance from the trail to suddenly find themselves lost and disoriented. The only time that you or someone else in your group may need to leave the trail is to go to the bathroom. All our clients are provided whistles, which we disinfect after each trip, to use in the unlikely event you do find yourself separated from the group. The minute you become lost, just stop, take a deep breath, wait calmly in place, blow your whistle and wait for the rest of the group to come find you. The more you panic and move about, the harder and longer it will take for us to find you.

Relevant Wilderness Regulations:

Preserving our trails: All guided hiking tours will proceed single file on established trails to preserve the surrounding landscape. Do not cut switchbacks when either ascending or descending a trail. Cutting switchbacks creates soil erosion and damages trails, so don’t do it. And don’t be afraid to get those boots dirty. To preserve the surrounding landscape and to avoid widening the trail, it’s important that we remain on the trail even if that means walking straight through a muddy patch.
Do not feed or approach the wildlife: Out of respect for the wildlife and for your own safety, do not approach wild animals. Your guide will be there to let you know how close is too close.
Leave what you find: As beautiful as that wildflower might be or as cool as that rock might look, you cannot bring them home with you. This is both to preserve the ecosystem and to give other hikers the chance to admire that wildflower or rock.

Memorable Keepsakes:

Commemorate your adventure with a unique Trail Fiends magazine cover personalized with a photo of you from during the hike. After the hike, we’ll email you a PDF copy of the magazine cover for you to print and frame as you like. This special keepsake is included with all Trail Fiends hikes!

Pricing and refunds policy:

Refund Policy: We get it—life happens. If ever you need to cancel a trip, you must cancel it 48 hours prior to the beginning of a trip to receive a refund. For example, if your guided hiking tour is scheduled to begin at 7:00 am on Monday, June 21, you must cancel your trip by 7:00 am on Saturday, June 19 to receive a refund. We charge a $50 cancellation fee. In the event that Trail Fiends cancels the trip due to unforeseen circumstances, we will issue a full refund and the usual cancellation fee of $50 will be waived.

Reserving your guided hike:

We want your experience with us to be a special one. Once you fill out the form below, we’ll contact you by phone for a 100% free consultation to schedule and plan your adventure with us! Your next adventure starts here.

Harmonica Arch