One of the Crested Butte area’s most popular trails grants you a modest summit with humbling views.

Snodgrass Mountain isn’t among the most dramatic peaks around this destination town. But it is among the most accessible. And it grants you the signature scenery that people travel from afar to admire, including wildflowers and aspen groves that glow gold in the fall.

The trail will also grant you a workout. That’s what many locals come for — the steady uphill on foot or bike, followed by a smile-inducing ride down.

The views are immediate. Peak bloom for flowers had passed on our mid-August visit, but the meadows just above the trailhead were still awash in yellow. Mount Crested Butte looms ahead for a postcard image, with other summits rolling in every direction.

In less than a mile, you’ll meet a gate similar to the one at the trailhead. Here you can follow the dirt road to the right through aspens — the way commonly suggested, especially for hikers — or continue straight as we did for the thin trail uphill. We took the road on the return down, making a loop out of the trip and adding variety.

Staying straight, the singletrack climbs into the tall, evergreen woods and hip-high vegetation. This is the lush, green experience you don’t get on the early stretch of the road. If on foot, be ready to step aside; this is the popular descent for bikers.

In a little more than 1 1/2 miles, the trail meets the road continuing uphill. You’ll be going another 1 1/2 miles or so to a rather unceremonious mountaintop, staying mostly in the trees. But you’ll get that fitness; you might feel the altitude, starting as you did near 9,600 feet.

If you follow the road down as we did, you’ll get new mountain views and towering aspens.

Trip log: 5.6 miles round trip (out and back), 1,497 feet elevation gain, 11,139 max

Getting there: From Crested Butte, take Gothic Road toward the ski resort, following signs for Snodgrass Trail ahead. The parking lot will be on your left.

FYI: Multi-use, non-motorized trail. Dogs on leash.

SETH BOSTER, THE GAZETTE