That Summit County is home to spectacular mountain views is no secret. What fewer people know is the best views in Summit County can't be seen from the highway or even the ski slopes. They surround overlooks that, often, can only be reached on foot.

One such vista point is the Ptarmigan Peak trail, which is in the running, at least in my book, for the most spectacular view anywhere in the county.

The trail would probably be ranked “easy” or “beginner” if a universal difficulty scale existed, and the incredible views, wildflowers and changing grade and landscape make it worth a visit.

Going in, hikers have their backs to the view of Dillon Reservoir and surrounding peaks and are instead (and probably necessarily) looking at the fairly steep, rocky trail on the way up. As a result, frequent stops to turn around and ogle might be unavoidable.

The trail climbs out of a private neighborhood off of Rainbow Drive in Silverthorne and makes its way, during the summer months, through hills of endless wildflowers, through aspen groves and then, finally, up into the pines.

Through July, chamomile and the smell of sage threaten to overwhelm the senses for the first leg of the hike, but this weekend or early this week their reign will be threatened by the pale lavender mariposa lily, a flower that historically fed Mormon travelers on their treks west toward Salt Lake City, according to local historian Mary Ellen Gilliland.

Approximately a half mile in, the trail ventures into a storybook aspen forest where it levels out, making for much easier trekking.

The trail is closed to all motorized users and even mountain bikes aren't allowed past timberline, so hikers might, with the right timing, have the trail entirely to themselves.

While climbing slowly in elevation, hikers will wander through dense, lush forest brightened with changing varieties of wildflowers and punctuated by the occasional meadow and break in the trees offering glimpses of Silverthorne on the valley floor and the mountain ranges beyond.

Ptarmigan gains about 3,000 feet in elevation over approximately 5 miles, eventually winding out of the lush aspen forests and into the pines at higher elevation. Just over three miles into the hike, it hits the boundary of the Ptarmigan Peak Wilderness Area, where hikers have the option of continuing up to the summit at Ptarmian Peak or following Ptarmigan Pass.

On the return trip, the forest opens up to reveal sweeping views of every mountain range in the Dillon Ranger District, including the Continental Divide, Gore Range, Tenmile Range and Williams Fork Range, as well all four towns and the Keystone and Breckenridge ski resorts.

The hike is particularly breathtaking in the late afternoon when the sun, setting over Silverthorne, is hitting the peaks and Dillon Reservoir, but later hikes should be planned carefully to ensure enough time to get back to the trailhead before dark.

My experience with wildlife on this trail has been limited to birds and bugs and, on one memorable occasion, a bear sighting, though other fauna might be spotted with the right timing. Dogs are allowed on the trail as long as they are leashed, but the U.S. Forest Service asks that owners not allow pets to harass wildlife, and most of Summit County also requests that they clean up after their dogs.

For more information on the Ptarmigan Peak trail and other Summit County hikes visit the White River National Forest website at www.fs.usda.gov/whiteriver and select the “recreation” tab at the left of the page and then “hiking.”