The hike to Crater Lake does not require a big expenditure of energy for its scenic rewards. The Outbound works best with JavaScript enabled. (or send him an e-mail here). This would be a great opportunity for us to scout for new elk hunting areas and do some hiking and tout fishing along the way. Narrative: The trail leaves the Elwood Pass Road #380, passing through scattered sub-alpine forest. Winter? Situated south of Platoro Reservoir, this 17.7 mile hike offers a mix of wooded valleys, alpine meadows and a an exhilerating stretch of the Continental Divide Trail. The South San Juan Wilderness is a U.S. Wilderness Area located in the San Juan National Forest, east of Pagosa Springs, in southern Colorado.. One such hidden gem is (yet another) Crater Lake, tucked away in the South San Juan Wilderness - an area labeled by many as "Colorado's wildest corner". This was the last documented grizzly in Colorado. Crater Lake - a destination where you just might see more bear tracks than humans - even over the course of a summer holiday weekend in Colorado. Crater Lake Trail #562 is a 2.12 mile one way hike with 46 feet accumulated elevation gain. Basecamp(s) Information: Crater Lake to the Saddle. Holiday weekends can be frustrating for solitude seekers. In 1870, gold and silver was discovered in area, which lead to a small boom i... Treasure Falls is reached via short .4 mile walk from the parking lot on highway 160 about 15 miles outside Pagosa Springs (which is home to the worlds deepest hot springs). The last known grizzly bear in Colorado was killed in the wilderness in 1979. 9 miles  - Out-and-Back Trail. Always practice Leave No Trace ethics on your A 4 day backpacking adventure into Colorado's South San Juan Wilderness. Keep in mind, as well, that at least 1 hour of the hike (in the middle of it) will be at, or above, treeline - so, do factor that into your timing if thunderstorms are in the forecast. A high country trail wanders through cool forests and open meadows while flirting with stunning views of the surrounding San Juan Mountains. Sun 6:55am - 4:51pm Official Route . (Note: this is not the route shown on the older USGS map that goes around the north and east side of the lake.) On September 23, 1979 a sow grizzly was killed near Blue Lake by a bow hunter. Nestled in a basin on the east side of a rugged ridge that is dominated by Twilight Peak (13,158 feet) the scenic lake is fishable for cutthroat trout using flies and artificial lures. The 1.8 mile path (TR 1975) to Crater Lake and other places beyond leaves the Maroon Lake scenic loop at the far end of the lake and soon crosses the boundary of the Maroon Bells-Snowmass Wilderness.It heads up the densely wooded slope on the north side of the canyon, through a … Blue Lake Loop, South San Juan Wilderness, CO. 8.0 mi away. Day 3: Weather permitting, day hike a loop of 7.9 miles to Conejos Peak, highest in the wilderness at 13,159’, returning to camp via Glacier Lake on an unmaintained trail. This gorgeous lake is just below timberline, at 10,900 feet, and offers great fishing and camping. Distance from Trailhead: 11.8 miles (round trip) Ending/Highest Elevation: 11,770-ft. Elevation Gain: 1,000-ft. For panoramic views of the peaks to the west and south of Molas Pass along with a restricted view of the Needles, hike to the obvious saddle (11,770-ft.) southwest of the lake. Crater Lake is located in the Weminuche Wilderness Area of the San Juan National Forest near Silverton, Colorado. Crater Lake Foundation is also part of our organization, donating to special park needs and acknowledging special individuals. Silverton / Ouray, Region Information: Find rock climbing routes, photos, and guides for every state, along with experiences and advice from fellow climbers. Camping: Camping is permitted in the Weminuche Wilderness but there are restrictions to camping close to Crater Lake. We got our gear together and were on the trail by noon. Learn more about this beautiful location in my ebook, Capturing Colorado Hiking & Photographing Lakes of the San Juan Mountains. Several deer approached our camp from time to time and we only saw three other people at the lake over the next 48 hours before packing up camp - a definite rarity over 4th of July weekend in Colorado! The trailhead does serve as an access point for the Continental Divide trail, so while we saw many hikers in the first mile of the hike, virtually none of them made their way down to Crater Lake itself. 8.0 mi away. Narrative: The trail leaves the Elwood Pass Road #380, passing through scattered sub-alpine forest. adventures and follow local regulations. Suitable campsites are available at Crater Lake, but otherwise are quite limited. Within 10-15 minutes of hiking, the views will open up and the Continental Divide and its various unnamed peaks in the area will be visible. In regards to setting up camp, the campsites on the north end of the lake are all well defined and rest loosely amongst mature spruce and fir trees. Take in the scenery while enjoying scenic drives, hiking through forests, road biking, and exploring our IMBA Gold Level Ride Center recognized mountain bike trails. The weather forecast for the day was your typical monsoon pattern for this area with a 50% chance of afternoon storms. The trailhead for Crater Lake is a fair distance off any major highway - roughly 18 miles off of US Highway 160 - in close proximity to relatively unknown Elwood Pass (Forest Road 380). When this merge happens, veer left onto the CDT and continue uphill to the high point of the hike, at about 12,140' just above a small 12,132' saddle that lies off-trail between unnamed Pt's 12,498' and 12,550 (easily seen on topo maps). South San Juan Wilderness The last known grizzly bear in Colorado was killed in the wilderness in 1979. From the saddle, a class 3 scramble up the east ridge of North Twilight Peak provides bird’s eye views of the Needle Mountains and the Grenadier Range to the east. The road ends at the trailhead on the shoreline .6 miles down the road. 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