Lizard Head Pass Trail / Blackface

View from the ridge line

Lizard Head Pass is located just south of Telluride, CO and offers some wonderful high altitude hiking through meadows, aspens and spruce forests. Above the parking lot on top of Lizard Head Pass runs a rocky ridge, and the highest point of the ridge is known as Blackface. The hike to Blackface is not to difficult and the views from the summit are breathtaking.

Directions: From Durango, head west on Highway 160 for about 20 miles to Mancos, CO. In Mancos, turn right heading north onto County Road 184 (just look for the only stop light in Mancos). Drive for about 17 miles comes to a "T" at County Road 145. Take a right onto 145, drive through the quaint towns of Dolores and Rico, and you will reach the summit of Lizard Head Pass after about 50 miles.  There are two parking lots atop Lizard Head Pass, and you will want to park at the second one, which is paved and has bathrooms.

Trail climbing from parking lot

Trail: To find the trail, walk north towards the bathrooms and you will see the trail heading off to the left just before you reach the bathrooms.  The trail gradually climbs through a meadow for about the first half mile and then enters into a spruce and aspen forest as well as the Lizard Head Wilderness Area. There are a few stream crossings but nothing very wide or difficult to cross over. You will also hike through one or two rocky areas where you may see or here pika busily gathering their winter food stash.

At the one and a half mile mark, the you will begin the first set of switchbacks as the trail climbs up toward the ridge line. As you climb, you will get spectacular views of Trout Lake and Vermillion Peak to the east. After about 3/4 of a mile of

Climbing the switchbacks

switchbacks, the trail will level out for a bit and you will hike along a large rock field, where you will definitely see and hear pika. Pay attention when the trail leaves the rock field, as it will eventually fork. Take the left fork to continue the hike to Blackface. The right fork heads to Wilson Meadows. There is a small sign at this fork.

After taking the left fork, the trail starts you into another set of switchbacks and climbs through a beautiful spruce forest. If wet, the trail can be a bit muddy and slippery. When I hiked the trail during the first weekend of October, the trail was covered in places by snow and was quite slick. This set of switchbacks lasts about a mile. You will come out of the spruce forest and be on top of the ridge, which is above tree line for pretty much the rest of the hike.

Fork in the trail

Continue to follow the trail, which will meander through a few high alpine meadows and then climb along the ridge line towards Blackface. There are two or three false summits before you reach Blackface. You will know when you reach the summit of Blackface, as there is the usual pile of rocks marking it. From the summit, you will have commanding views of Lizard Head and Mount Wilson to the west, and Vermillion Peak and Sheep Mountain to the east.

Hiking up the ridgeline

Total distance was about 8 miles, with a starting elevation of 10,280' and a high elevation of 12,089. It took me about 3.5 hours to do the entire hike.

View of Lizard Head and Mt. Wilson

Trout Lake and Vermillion Peak

Map of the hike

Elevation Profile (one-way)

American Basin / Sloan Lake

American Basin is a popular hiking destination, located northeast of Silverton, Colorado, because of its natural beauty, abundant wildflowers, and that it is bordered on the east by Handies Peak, one of Colorado's famous 14'ers.

Directions: From Durango, head north on Highway 550 to Silverton, CO. Take Greene Street through Silverton, and on the far side of town, veer right onto County Road 2. Not far out of town, the road will turn to gravel. The road is quite smooth until just past the old mining town of Eureka, which is now a campground area. Past Eureka, the road gets more rough and 4-wheel drive or all-wheel drive is recommended. From Eureka, travel about four miles to the old mining ghost town of Animas Fork.

Views of Cinnamon Pass.

The road forks here with the left forking heading down to Animas Fork. Continue on the right fork for about a quarter mile to where the Cinnamon Pass Road peels sharply off to the right and heads steeply up hill. From here, it is about two miles to the top of Cinnamon Pass, elevation 12,600. This is a very picturesque drive above timberline with great views of high alpine tundra and the surrounding peaks, including Cinnamon and Wood Mountains. The back side of Cinnamon Pass gets quite rough and you definitely must have 4-wheel drive or you will get yourself in serious trouble. After about two miles, Cinnamon Pass Road will intersect Grizzly Gulch Trail. Take a sharp right and drive just under a mile over a rough road to a parking lot. The Handies Peak trail leaves from here.

Looking back at the parking lot. Trail is to the right.

The Trail: The trail head is located at the parking lot and starts out as a double track. It climbs gradually through high alpine meadows that are full of wildflowers during July and August. After about a half-mile, the trail travels through a bit of a scree field and wraps around a sharp bend and continues to gradually climb. About a tenth of a mile later, the trail crosses over a small stream, and if you look to your left, you will see a lovely waterfall that is an easy hike to and above if you would like a closer look. A quarter-mile after the stream crossing, the trail takes a left and begins to climb a steeper section up to a ridge, gaining about 300' in elevation.

Hiking along high alpine wetlands.

Once over the ridge, the trail levels out for a time allowing you to hike through some high alpine wetlands and to enjoy the surrounding views and the sounds of pikas and marmots that populate the basin. There is another small stream crossing at this point. It was in this area that I came across about ten ptarmigans, a rare site indeed. After a quarter-mile, the trail begins another steep ascent that will bring you to Sloan Lake.

The trail does not actually go to the lake but you can see an obvious turn-off trail that will take you to its shores. You can stop here and enjoy the lake, or continue on the trail for the steep ascent to Handies Peak, which I believe is just two miles past Sloan Lake, but gains well over a 1000' of vertical to reach the summit. I decided to save the hike to Handies Peak for another day due to a late start and because dark clouds were starting to role into the area. Nothing quite as dangerous as being caught in a thunderstorm on top of a mountain peak. The hike to Sloan Lake is just about 1 3/4 miles and makes an easy day hike.

Wildflowers along the hike.

Sloan Lake with American Peak in the background.

Another shot of Sloan Lake.

Trail Map.

Elevation profile (one-way).

Hiking to Highland Mary Lakes and Verde Lake

The hike to the Highland Mary Lakes and Verde Lake is a classic high country hike to mountain lakes surrounded by tall peaks and gently rolling tundra on the way to Verde Lake.  The hike starts at around 10,000 feet in elevation and climbs to around 12,000 with modest effort. It is a popular hike just east of Silverton and can get pretty busy on summer weekends.  There are many wonderful waterfalls to view as the trail travels along Cunningham Creek.


Directions: From downtown Durango, travel north and up the Animas Valley on Highway 550 about 50 miles to Silverton. Follow County Road 2 / Greene St. through downtown Silverton. On the other side of Silverton veer right on County Road 2 and drive about 5 miles and just over a bridge, take a right onto County Road 4.  Just a short while traveling down County Road 4, the road splits and you can take either way. If you go to the right, you will drive along the creek. If you go left, the road climbs a bit up the valley side and you will drive through the Old Hundred Gold Mine, which is still open for tours. After about a mile and a half from where the road splits, it comes back together. Take the road to the right, which is where County Road 4 continues. The road to the left is County Road 3, which begins to quickly climb up the valley side. From this road split, drive about another 3 miles - the last high 1/2 mile is pretty rough. There are two places to park. The first is just to the left off of County Road 4. The other is at the trailhead, but you have to follow a road that peels off to the left just before the other parking area and drive through a stream, but you need a high clearance 4-wheel drive vehicle to get there.

Trail: The trail quickly climbs from the trailhead with Cunningham Creek to your right. After about a half mile, the trail forks. The trail to the the left begins a steep climb and is meant for livestock. The trail you want to follow is to the right, which crosses over a small stream and then some underbrush before approaching a tricky rocky are you have to hike through. After the rocky area, you will hike along the left side of the creek

Stream crossing at the sign.

and be able to view many wonderful waterfalls.  If you see a path veer off to the left, it will likely lead you to a waterfall.  At just under a mile, the trail appears to turn into a small stream and disappear. There will be a rocky outcrop to your right that you will need to scramble up to follow the trail. You can continue to hike the stream if you do not want to climb up the rocky outcrop. Following this route will bring you to a rock face. Go to the right to rejoin the trail as it climbs up yet another rocky outcrop. From here, the trail continues along the left side of Cunningham Creek, crossing a number of smaller streams along the way. Stay on the left side of Cunningham Creek until about the 1.5 mile mark, where you will come upon a sign pointing you across the Creek. After you cross one fork of the creek, go straight to cross yet another fork of the creek. There is a trail that goes off to the left and climbs above a small waterfall, but that is not the correct trail.
I found out the hard way and had to back track quite a bit.

Crossing the talus field to the small pond.

After crossing these two streams, the trail climbs for a bit and then heads into willow shrubs, crossing a number of small streams. You will climb up another steep section and come back to Cunningham Creek. The trail stays on the right side of the creek for a little while (as far as I can tell because this part of the trail was still under snow) before moving away from the Creek to the right into a talus field. The trail is hard to follow in the talus field but be on the look out for stacked rocks marking the trail. Once you cross through the talus field, hike through a boggy area with a small pond, jump over over a small stream and climb to the first of the Highland Mary Lakes (it has an island), follow the trail to the right of the lake, which will then take you to the second Highland Mary Lake. The trail continues on the left side of the second lake and climbs a bit to the third and largest lake. There are many nice places to camp around the second and

Second Highland Mary Lake

third lakes.

I decided to continue on and make the hike to Verde Lake. Follow the path past the third lake, cross yet another stream, and being to climb through high alpine tundra. You will see a number of poles marking the trail. You will come to a crest, where the trail heads to the left and begins a steep climb. The trail at this point becomes the Continental Divide Trail and you can follow it to loop back to near the parking lots at the trailhead. Instead, I headed to the right going downhill to Verde Lake. There is no much of a trail, but tundra makes it very easy going. I hiked up to a rock bluff and enjoyed a nice lunch with a marmot keeping close track of me. The alpine flowers were just starting to appear and I decided to make a little snowman to

Verde Lake

mark the turn around point of my hike.

Round trip to Verde Lakes was just about six miles, adding an extra mile from the third Highland Mary Trail. My starting elevation was 10,900 feet and my highest elevation was 12,389 feet. Overall, I think I would have enjoyed this hike more if I would have waited until the end of July or August to do it so that things dry up a bit. In June, there is still a bit of snow to deal with and the streams were running pretty high, making some of the stream crossings a little difficult. It is a very picturesque hike but can be a little frustrating with all the false trails leading off of the main one. I had to back track one or two times. If I had to choose a hike to high alpine lakes in the San Juan Mountains, Ice Lake Basin is still the best but Highland Mary / Verde Lakes makes for a nice alternative.

Waterfall along Cunningham Creek.

Elevation Profile with from Verde Lake (left) to trailhead (right).

Hike to Verde Lake

Barnroof Point

For the first hike of the year, I thought to do something close to where I live in Durango. One hike that peaked my interest was Barnroof Point, which can be seen from downtown Durango and located behind Perrin's Peak in the Perrin's Peak State Wildlife Area. Almost none of the hiking guides that I own even mention Barnroof Point . . . and now I know why.

Directions: From downtown Durango, head west on State Highway 160 for about 3.5 miles.  Look for signs pointing towards Lightner Creek.  There is a right turn only lane onto Lightner Creek Road, which is also County Road 209.  After about a mile, the road will fork with County Road 209 continuing to the left, and County Road 208 (a dirt road) veer off to the right. Go right and immediately turn left into the parking lot. The trailhead for Barnroof is from this parking lot.

Trail leading from parking lot.

Trail: The trail drops down from the parking lot, crosses a small stream, and then begins to climb along the side of Barnroof. After a few switchbacks, the trail climbs steadily. It is a pretty well maintained trail but does not have an abundance of shade. I started my hike around 10 am and was in full sun as I climbed. The trail continues to climb up the side of Barnroof for about a half mile, and then appears to end abruptly at a large boulder surrounded by a couple large pinon oaks. This is where the fun begins. Climb over the rocks and follow what remains of the trail, and prepare to climb.

Where the trail appears to disappear.

The trail turns essentially straight uphill for about 15 yards and you have to scramble on low to ground to make it to the top. I took my time as the ground is quite loose and one could easily slide down off the trail to serious injury. After this scramble, you will be up on top of Barnroof, and the hiking gets much easier.

The trail continues to the north and is easy to follow for about another half mile until you reach a rocky slope you have to hike through.  After this climb, the trail pretty much comes and goes. Luckily, the undergrowth is not very thick and it is easy to find wildlife trails to follow. I pretty much followed the ridge line along the edge of the mountain, which offered nice views of the surrounding area. Continue to climb towards the north and will eventually climb up over a rise.  After the rise, you will come into a rock field where a small forest fire burned a few years back.  To be honest, this is as far as I would advise anyone to hike.

The lovely thick underbrush.

I continued on to climb all the way to Barnroof Point, which is the high point of this mountain.  Soon after the rock field, the underbrush gets extremely thick and difficult to navigate. Plus, there is no trail and so you have to bushwhack your way to the top. I had on shorts and my lower legs got the living snot scratched out of them. The hike to Barnroof Point is simply not worth the effort. The only way I knew I made it is because my gps indicated I had arrived at the top. There is really not much of a view as everything is obscured by the thick undergrowth. I glad I made it to the top just to check it off my list but I doubt I will ever return as the effort was simply not worth it.

View of the La Plata Mountains from Barnroof Point.

View north up County Road 208.

Hiking Route.

Elevation Profile.

Purgatory Flats

Sign at the Trailhead.

Purgatory Flats is a nice and easy hike that is great for the entire family. It is easy to get to and one of those rare hikes that proceeds downhill from the get go (until you hike back out). It was perfect for me as I severely sprained my left ankle about a month ago on a trail run and this was the first hike I attempted after a nasty sprain. The hike slowly meanders through numerous aspen groves and arrives in the valley through which Cascade Creek flows.

Directions: From downtown Durango, head north on Highway 550 approximately 25 miles to Tacoma Drive. Look for the entrance to Durango Mountain Resort on the left side of the road, and Tacoma Drive is directly across from the entrance on the right (east) side of 550.

View of Engineer Mountain from parking lot.

Take a right onto Tacoma Drive and follow the road for maybe a quarter of a mile and you will see a dirt parking lot on the left side of the road next to a small lake. Park in this lot and hike back up the road a few hundred feet across the bridge to the trailhead, which is on the opposite side of the road from the parking lot.

Trail: The trail starts out nice and easy passing by a registration sign for the Weminuche Wilderness Area. After the sign, the trail descends down a number of relatively steep switchbacks and then it follows along side Purgatory Creek. After about a half-mile, the trail crosses over Purgatory Creek on a make-shift stone pathway. After crossing the creek, the trail gets steeper for a bit as travels through a number of aspen groves, which would be beautiful during the peak fall color.

Crossing over Purgatory Creek.

Unfortunately, I missed the peak by a few weeks and most of the colorful leaves had already fallen.  After about 1.2 miles, the trail begins a series of switchbacks as it makes a final descent to Purgatory Flats. At 1.7 miles, the trail reaches Purgatory Flats and splits left and right.

If you turn to the left, you can follow the trail upstream and along Cascade Creek. If you turn and follow the trail to the right, heading downstream, you can hike all the way to the confluence of Cascade Creek and the Animas River, where there is a nice pedestrian bridge over the Animas.  If you time it right, you can watch the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Train go by.

View of Purgatory Flats with the Needles in the Background.

Purgatory Flats is a large, flat area along side Cascade Creek that has plenty of places to hang out with the kids for a day of exploring or to camp overnight as I viewed numerous fire rings just off the trail.

Cascade Creek flowing through the valley.

A bit of fall color still left across the valley.

Map of hike.

Elevation profile of hike.

Ice Lake Basin

Ice Lake Basin is a very popular hike in the San Juan Mountains, and for good reason. It is a not too strenuous hike through high alpine meadows, pine forests and with waterfalls at every turn.  Seriously, if you love waterfalls this is the hike for you. They are present around every corner, and even when you can't see them, you can pretty much hear them throughout the entire hike. With all the running water, there are several small stream crossings during the hike and so I would suggest bringing a second pair of shoes to get wet on the crossings.

Directions: From Durango, travel north on Highway 550 about 50 miles to Silverton, CO. Continue on Highway 550 out of Silverton for 2 miles and turn left onto County Road 7 and drive 4.3 miles to a small parking lot on the right side of the road and that is right across from the South Creek Mineral Campground. The trail leaves from the western end of the parking lot. There are actually two trail heads for this hike. If you have a 4 wheel drive vehicle, you can drive up the road to Clear Lake (County Road 12) and park at the first sharp right-hand turn. Driving up to this second trail head cuts off about 500 vertical feet of elevation.

Trail: From the parking lot, the trail heads in the woods and begins to climb through numerous switchbacks. After about 0.8 miles, the switchback comes to an end and the trail comes to a "T." Head left to continue on the main trail. If you head to the right, you will come to a waterfall that you have to cross if you park at the upper trail head off of Clear Lake Road. When the water is low, crossing the stream below this waterfall is pretty easy. However, I hiked the trail from the upper trail head after a weekend of heavy rain, and crossing by this waterfall was quite difficult. From here, the trail climbs gently through the woods and into meadows strewn with wildflowers where there is one or two side trails to view a number of cascading water falls. After this meadow, the trail heads back into woods and begins to climb again through numerous switchbacks.

Lower Ice Lake Basin

Waterfall down the headwall.

The trail levels out after just over a 0.5 miles and enters into Lower Ice Lake Basin. The trail meanders through the Basin crossing several small streams and small, high alpine lakes. Wildflowers are plentiful and numerous waterfalls dot the Basin walls. After about 0.6 miles, the trail crosses a larger stream and then begins to climb through a traverse in the gap of a headwall down which numerous waterfalls cascade. After you hike through this traverse, the trail begins the final climb to Ice Lake making numerous switchbacks. At times, the trail seems more like a stream bed than a trail.

Once you crest this final climb, it is an easy walk to Ice Lake, which is named for its distinctive blue color caused by the silt content of the water. Surrounding Ice Lake are numerous 13,000 foot peaks, which offer a number of challenging climbs, if you are so inclined. In addition, you can hike to Fuller Lake, which is towards the south, or to Island Lake, which is towards the north. The round trip hike to Ice Lake is about 5.5 miles with a starting elevation of 9,800' and a final elevation of 12,275'.

Ice Lake

Ice Lake

Elevation Profile (one direction)

Map to Ice Lake