We'll bring an Atwater Carey Personal First Aid Kit. The trail travels from Denver to Durango and is considered one of the nation's most beautiful and varied long-distance hikes. Lots of mountain bikers out today. 5/29/09 Update: Okay, we're all set. Cuisines: American, Southwestern, Cafe. It was clean enough for us dirty hikers, and the shower (eventually) was hot. **I spoke to Mark, who's "the hiker" in the office, and he was a BIG help in planning our trip. Map Key Favorites Check-Ins. The Colorado trail runs from Denver to Durango covering a distance of around 486 miles. Hope you enjoy your visit to my neck of the woods and if you happen through Naturita stop in and say hi!!! I ran sag wagon for a good friend of mine who did the complete Colorado Trail a couple years ago by herself. Segment 26: Bolam Pass Road to Hotel Draw Road. Open to hikers, bikers and horseback riders, the Colorado Trail is 482 miles long, extending from Denver to Durango. This is a very useful and what I consider indispensable resource for hiking the CT, and I'd highly recommend photocopying pages for the section you'll be hiking and taking them with you. I started hitchhiking in the wrong direction. I hiked Colorado Trail Segment 25 on July 8, 2022. A unique expert only ski and ride area right out of Silverton Colorado. Water falls. Indeed, between departing from Highway 550 at Molas Pass and entering the town of Durango, the only sign of human life is the occasional dirt road crossing. Confluence At Three Springs is located at 150 Confluence Ave, Durango, CO. Confluence At Three Springs offers 1-2 bed, 1-2 bath units. James had a minor OTB but he picked himself up and rode on without much trouble. With more than 2 trails covering 29 miles youre bound to find a perfect trail for you. How many miles per day will we need to average to finish within our timeframe? In the morning, we'll drive to Silverton, where we'll leave the car at the Visitor Center as planned, take the 2pm train to Elk Park and hike BACK to the campground. Segment has more beautiful vistas. According to theColorado Trail Foundation, mileage for those four segments is: Most people on the trail camp, and you can do that nearly anywhere you can lie down, but the meadows are preferred. " Love this place! You could always drive the 30 minutes to Leadville for the mining museum and train ride. Sunshine and rainbows and green rolling mountaintops as far as the eye can see. The campground is happy to have hikers stop by for a wash and dry. I had to call the after-hours front desk number, and the lady who answered did take care of the noise, so that was good. There is an overall map that covers segment 24 to 28, in addition to individual maps of each of these 4 segment listed below. Lots of MTB riders. Rather than arrange for a shuttle from Durango back to our vehicle in Silverton, we decided to treat ourselves to a scenic train ride on the Durango-Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad, which has been in continuous operation for 127 years. Interactively explore all 500 miles of The Colorado Trail between Denver and Durango using topographic maps and satellite imagery. And some things may change. "The 10 miles of downhill from the top of Blackhawk Mountain is some of the best there is, writes John Robinette on DurangoBikeTours.com. Evelyn Saenz from Royalton on June 03, 2009: Thank you for joining us on A Walk in the Woods and don't forget to add your lens to the appropriate plexo. Change), You are commenting using your Facebook account. Amazing so many views of Engineer Mountain and the Weimenuche Wilderness. Very well done and lots of detail. Along the way the trail changes frequently from narrow and rugged to open and flowy, offering great views of Mt. Not that there won't be ascents going the other way, of course; just not as many long ones. Then a major climb takes you to Blackhawk Pass, the high point of the trail. The Colorado Trail near Silverton has popular high elevation routes for mountain biking and hiking. It stretches from Denver to Durango across the Southern Rockies and can be hiked in 25-35 days. I love your lens. Thank you for sharing. Durango to Silverton As you head north for Durango it get exponentially more beautiful. Stay on the Colorado Trail for more great singletrack, or exit Hotel Draw towards Durango, or take a right turn on Scotch Creek Rd for a downhill To Rico. Click photo to see hundreds more on Flickr. Our online interactive maps focus on the last 4 segments of the Colorado trail from Stony Pass East of Silverton, Colorado to its end at the Junction Creek trailhead just outside of Durango, Colorado. I read that the year-round average temperature in Silverton is just 35.6 degrees, and the frost-free growing season can be as short as twelve days! For Steve, an Osprey Helix that he's had since he was a teenager, For me, a Kelty Tornado, about 8 years old, For Steve, a synthetic Kelty 0-degree bag (about 12 yrs. People wave goodbye as the train leaves us off at Elk Park to begin our hike, just as the rain and thunder begins. But I used to do day hikes. I love reading about your hikes, and this one was no different. Turn left onto Cement St, then make your next left, and the RV park will be straight ahead. Some officially designated wilderness sections are closed to mountain bikes, but there are detours for bikers around those areas. This content is accurate and true to the best of the authors knowledge and is not meant to substitute for formal and individualized advice from a qualified professional. If you can plan more time for this hike and give yourself a buffer, I'd highly recommend doing so, so you don't have to hike more miles to "make up time." Lucky for us, though, there was room on the train, so we were able to move to an inside car. Where will we leave our car while we're hiking? Sunny every day,great hiking.1999,june. Enjoyed photo of Jodi, Rob and Koby who provide ongoing maintenance on the Colorado Trail. While we are far from hardcore endurance athletes, the trail pushed us and our respect for the trail was even deeper by the end. Watch the conditions at all times and get off the peaks if you see a storm coming in. " 03/01/2023. HubPages is a registered trademark of The Arena Platform, Inc. Other product and company names shown may be trademarks of their respective owners. The summit of Engineer Mountain towers over this entire region, rising to an elevation of 13,218 feet. Change), You are commenting using your Twitter account. Photo by Steve Hume. 13.7 miles laterwe made it!! So I'd recommend familiarizing yourself and making note of alternate routes before the hike, just in case you might need to leave the trail sooner than later. I have a couple of Colorado sites as well. I did get to see the Durango to Silverton Tourist train go by and it did look like a good ride. Colorado. Walking alone on the Colorado Trail can be pure bliss. Steve was really rollin and said, Im so glad I have plus tires. I feel like I can push a gear harder in most places, he said. Leaving a well-deserved *~*~ Angel Blessing ~*~*. Clothing: (each person, some of it on the person). The idea behind the trail was born in 1973, but the trail itself wasn't created and connected until 1987. The first 1.5-miles are a pleasant climb up to the ridgeline, and then the next several miles are a contouring traverse of the top of the Lime Creek watershed. This is exactly what I was looking for! Section-hiking usually requires shuttling. This is some of the best and most remote singletrack in Colorado. Nearly a full moon.more high resolution photos of day 1, Your email address will not be published. Colorado Trail: Molas Pass to Engineer Mountain, Mountain Bike the Breathtaking Colorado Trail, Bucket List Worthy: All 4 of Colorados IMBA Epic Rides, Durango: Most Underrated MTB Destination in Colorado. At the time of year we'll be hiking, the hostel runs $22 to $28 per person per night, including tax. Rented bikes and cruised around town and did laundry. He spent many happy hours painting next to the campfire or in the tent as it rained and snowed. Posted by ghsmith76. So that will make our trip 79.7 miles. We walked through a light rain for a couple hours and stopped after about ten miles of hiking near a herd of grazing sheep. We stick mostly to day hikes, an occasional camping trip and train rides, which we thoroughly enjoy. 2023 The Arena Media Brands, LLC and respective content providers on this website. I haven't been on a good hike in a long time. This is now on my list of bucket list hikes (perhaps in prep to thru-hike the whole CT in the next 5 years or so). I had a ride within minutes. Segment 28: Kennebec Trailhead to Junction Creek Trailhead. Access: For the best parking, head south on U.S. 550 about 5.5 miles past Silverton to a dirt road marked Molas Trail . No stamina. Section-hiking can allow you to do fewer miles per day, because you aren't necessarily trying to fit your trip into a seasonal window as you might have to if thru-hiking. She had a blast! I found myself saying goodbye to the silly marmots, the colorful fields of wildflowers, the endless mountain views. Clear skies. Day 2 for these guys started with awesome views and a nice flowy downhill of three miles. Problem. Columbine Ranger District, San Juan National Forest367 Pearl St.P.O. But that's not always feasible, often due to time constraints and other obligations. Put up your tent anywhere you like. Record snowfall last winter, so lots of snow remaining at the passes. Hoping there are enough level areas along the way for some options to stop for a night along the way. A spectacular adventure. Favorite place to camp and backpack.Picture # 8,10 is where I camped . This will take you to Coal Bank Pass or Cascade Creek. There's a parking area on the left, near the trailhead. Granted, some through hikers and bikers report going numb to the incredible views that the Colorado Trail affords by the time they reach this section. (LogOut/ So we'll keep looking. Write a review to inform other visitors! After the fact: On that last point uh-huh! Loved your write up - as a Colorado native I was impressed of your review of one of my favorite places. Explore Colorado Trail- Silverton to Durango - view hand-curated trail maps and driving directions as well as detailed reviews and photos from hikers, campers and nature lovers like you. I am new to Squidoo. Leadville is a strange choice. Thanks again! This elevation range has a major effect on climate. On the trail, things can be quite a bit different (and colder). Originally, I thought it would be nice to hike west to east, from Durango to Silverton, for a couple of reasons, one being that we could do future contiguous sections, all heading to the east, so we'd always begin where we last ended. Thanks. (Tried to skimp on kindling.). Very remote. Not to mention the fact that spending six months on a trail, or even a month or so on the CT, isn't for everyone. I found out that the trail does not go right into Silverton, and the nearest CT trailhead is about 7 miles away on the Million Dollar Highway, which is narrow and not safe for walking along the side of the road. My husband has family in Black Hawk. Many had recommended the very LAST section of the 500 mile Colorado Trail the San Juans as the best part. Take a right onto Co Rd 2, then turn right onto E 19th St. You can also arrange for food drops here and there, wherever you see the trail cross one of the mountain roads, and at each section point. On a thru-hike, you get into "trail shape" and can get acclimated to altitude as well. I climbed as far as I could so to set myself up for the final hard climb the next day. We'd probably be better off waiting a week or two, but my other plans prevent us from doing that. Thank you for sharing this lense. Youve got all that weight behind you and its easy to go right over the bars, he said. CO Silverton Alpine Marathon & 50K Jul 8, 2023 Clear your browsing data in order to view the new map. Or not. We hiked the 3 miles from Junction Creek into town. The miles will feel like theyre ticking along quickly, as the views from Indian Trail Ridge are to die for! Youll need warm clothing and rain gear, even if youre just out for the day. Saw amazing wildlife: a herd of elk, 3 deer, pica, grouse and several marmots. The famous Durango-Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad is the country's only coal-and-steam-powered train operating daily. Starting at the Little Molas Lake Trailhead, this segment of the Colorado Trail can be anything from a 2-mile out-and-back to a 22-mile trek. This stretch will give you great views of the La Plata and southern San Juan Mtns - Grand Turk, Engineer, Twin Sisters, Twilight, Hesperus And in the Summer, you are waist-deep in wildflowers for most of the trail !! Hopefully I can get out on some trails when I visit the US later this year! This video documents our journey through this majestic landscape. Living here in Colorado, there is a good possibility of hiking this trail. Box 439Bayfield, CO 81122970-884-2512, Dolores Ranger District29211 US Hwy. Might be in the area this year, there is bound to be some good geocaches out there! The Colorado Trail looks beautiful. Thanks for sharing a great lens. Learn how your comment data is processed. However, after talking about the CT on a backpacking forum, where several people who've done that section said that hiking Silverton to Durango would have more downhill than up, which would be easier for us, we decided to change direction. We took the trolley/bus at the first opportunity into downtown. Having thru-hiked the Appalachian Trail, I do love an extra-long long-distance hike from a trail's end to end. These give a great overview of the trail and surrounding area. Camping along the trail. 50K, 26.2M, 8M run. Section 3, also known as Segment 27 of the Colorado Trail, runs for 20.6 miles from Hotel Draw Road to the Kennebec Trailhead, climbing a whopping 4,186 feet along the way. Road access to the trail is remote and 4WD, but many long loops are possible. This popular summer destination has around 65 miles of designated motorized trails with plenty of side roads that wind through the San Juan Mountains. Met Brett and Ann working hard on Segment 26 of the Colorado Trail which is always appreciated! After the fact: Well, we ended up staying at the Spanish Trails Inn on Main Street instead, because it was just $39 plus tax, and also because the Dollar Inn was undergoing renovations and didn't look so hot at the time. Ideal for advanced-level riders. I only did a short section of segment 25, but the views are outstanding. Page 295 - LandWatch has 7,485 land listings for sale in Colorado. 184Dolores, CO 81323970-882-7296, See the Colorado Trail Segment Chart: Resources by Segment, Portion of Segment 24: Elk Park to Molas Pass, There is a 1,840-foot elevation gain between Elk Park and Molas Pass. Thanks for this great information. Outstanding! The Colorado Trail; San Juan Skyway; Four Corners Monument; Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad; See All Sights 56 Recommedations; . I rode this section as part of a longer ride from Lizard Head Pass to Durango. One great feature of the Colorado Trail is the relative abundance of water. Thats a good reminder to check your first-aid kit; is it ready? Not as popular as Needleton for hikers, Elk Park is where the railroad crosses the Colorado Trail . For the day, the group logged 28 miles and more than 3500 of climbing in 11 hours, including an arduousand soul destroying stretch at Kennebec Pass right before they ended the day at dusk. Open to hikers, bikers and horseback riders, the Colorado Trail is 482 miles long, extending from Denver to Durango.