Siphon Draw Trailhead

Siphon Draw to Flatiron is a challenging hike or run. It provides some of the best views of the valley. Bring plenty of water and prepare for the hours of hiking.

What an adventure. Started the hike at 0740 and got back to the car at 1800. What a day. Hiked to Siphon Draw and then it got grueling. Hiked to Flatiron and it was very hard. I am 49 yrs old and 320 so I am not in the best shape of my life but I will tell you this: after 28 years in the US Army, my hike to Flatiron was the hardest day of my life. Its steep and you really have to watch your step. I spent 90 minutes at the top and then it got worse. For me, going down was harder than going up due to how tired my muscles were; my quads were shot. So was it worth it? Yes it was. I will never forget this hike with my son and I beat the mountain and it is an amazing to have this badge of honor.

I guess we are one of the few who would only rate this 4 stars. What we didn't like about it was that there was thickly laid loose rock for a good part of the trail meaning you spent it looking at your feet and not the view. I saw two people walking out with twisted/ sprained ankles. It wasn't a difficult climb (but its a climb not just a hike) and once you get on the mountain the rock scrambling becomes fun. It was doable for our kids and we saw people of all ages. All looked decently healthy and mobile. Not a good hike if you have health issues. We brought our kids ages 13,12 and 7. They made it up almost all the way but they were over it before the top. We had to really take our time with them to ensure their safety. One at a time type deal. It was a test of our patience. We like to keep a good pace and we couldn't on this trail. On a side note my hiking boots killed me. I would choose a good pair of tennis shoes with good tread and a medium thick sole (a good compromise between climbing shoes and sturdy hiking boots). Poles could be helpful but I would find them annoying with all the scrambling. Views are okay but for the area its a pretty view. We are going to try less travelled areas next time.

Super fun hike! I came here on a Wednesday morning, getting to the parking lot around 10AM. I started the hike and it was flat and hot for a while, and then it got interesting as it went into the actual mountain. There's a lot of scrambling and path-finding as the path isn't always clear, but thankfully there were always people ahead of me or coming down so I had a bit of a guide there. There weren't too many people at the top when I got there although I passed quite a few on the way up as well as when I was going back down. The views were pretty great, and I really enjoyed the hike in general! A bit rocky and hard on the knees though, that's for sure. Took about 2 hours to get up and 1.5 hours to get back down, definitely recommend it!