It is not often you hike to a summit that is lower than the trailhead and one that shares a name with a princess that has been recent obsession in the friend circle!
Taylor, Janice, and I loaded up our packs with freshly brewed British black tea, whiskey, twenty pounds of trailmix, and headed south to Mount Margaret. After one hour we arrived at the completely empty trailhead (8:20am), which was lightly dusted with fresh snow. I always forget how close the Red Feathers Lake area is to Cheyenne, and how much more I need to explore this area. This eight-mile out-and-back hike would take us through forests and meadows starting at 8,090 feet at the trailhead.
Information is scarce, and it does not help that Mount Margaret of Red Feather Lakes is not the only other Mount Margaret, with the Washington rendition taking a up a lot of real estate on Google. I did find that Margaret Goldsborough purchased a ranch in the area as a wedding present for her daughter – and the ranch is in view of the named Mount Margaret. Is Ms. Goldsborough the namesake? Who knows, but seems like a plausible story since the Maxwell Ranch sits below in full view of the summit. More plausible than Princess Margaret having a bump of granite in northern Colorado named after her!
To add to this mysterious mountain, the mountain was misidentified for years. The Forest Service finally redid the signage and trails, and now you will arrive at the base of the correct unranked mountain that is the real Mount Margaret. Sounds like a perfect way to spend a mild January Saturday with friends!
There is a rather crazy system of trails in this area, many being decommissioned roads from back in the day. I had downloaded the map on AllTrails before leaving home, but thankfully the footprints in the snow kept us on trail, along with the smattering of trail signs. I’d imagine that during the months without snow cover it could be a bit more confusing.
The trail starts out with a very small, gentle climb, before starting to descend. (I wasn’t making it up that the trailhead is higher in elevation than the summit!). We crossed a nice bridge over South Lone Pine Creek, and then continued on through the trees and meadows.
The most confusing intersection is Five Points, but thankfully there is a trail sign to help point visitors in their desired direction. We just had a few more miles to go in the sunshine!
After about 3.7 miles, we reached the base of Mount Margaret. Most people stop here and enjoy the scenery, but we wanted to reach the actual summit, so we set about a very fun scramble to the top. This was Janice’s first time scrambling, and she did amazing.
After two hours exactly, we reached the summit, treated to views over North Lone Pine Creek, Prairie Divide Road, and the Maxwell Ranch. We dug out snacks and tea, enjoying this pleasant late-January day.
After a solid half-hour, we gathered our packs and begin the hike back to the car. After the scramble down, it was just uphill back to the car to go! Thankfully the grade is quite mild and hills never too steep… but it was still uphill. We passed several different groups along the way, and found quite a bit more mud since the sun melted off the fresh dusting of snow.
Overall this was quite the lovely hike to an unranked summit. I could see returning her to do the same hike, or explore some of the other trails. There are also five backcountry campsites along the trail which could be fun for a very easy overnight backpack trip.
Details:
Date Hiked: January 27, 2024
Trailhead: Mount Margaret
Total Mileage: 8 miles (Garmin Forerunner 255s)
Elevation Gain: 705 feet
Time: 4 hours 47 minutes, including summit relaxing time
Weather: Sunny and pleasant
Trail Conditions: Fresh inch of snow in the morning, which melted. Otherwise dirt or packed.
Special Considerations: I recommend a trail map (or GPS phone app) to keep on the right path. The trail is open to hikers, mountain bikers, and equestrians. Vault toilets at trailhead.
The Adventuring Heidi 
That looks like a wonderful hike. The photos are great.
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