Hiking and Camping Southwest Colorado: 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.