Colorado Trail
![Colorado Trail Map](/uploads/trails/colorado-trail/maps/map.png)
The Colorado Trail runs nearly 500 miles through the heart of the Rocky Mountains from Denver to Durango. It’s among one of the most consistently high-altitude hiking trails anywhere with an average elevation above sea level exceeding 10,000 feet (3,000 m). It runs through a multitude of climates and landscapes from searing sun-baked landscapes to snow-covered mountains where temperatures plunge well below freezing.
And for this hike, there’s a treat—I carried some upgraded camera equipment! The Canon EOS Rebel T6 is heavy, bulky and a pain-in-the-you-know-what to carry (along with it’s 300mm zoom lens), but I carried it every step of the way this time around to get some amazing shots that my regular point-and-shoot camera couldn’t do. You’ll find long-exposure photos of flowing creeks and shots of the stars and the Milky Way that I could never get before. With the zoom lens, I could get close-up photos of animals, insects and birds that I had never been able to get before. It’s a trail like no other on Walking 4 Fun!
![San Juan Mountains](landscape.jpg)
Stage Name | Length (miles) | Position (miles) | |
---|---|---|---|
1. | Waterton Canyon to S Platte Canyon | 16.5 | 0.0 → 16.5 |
2. | To Little Scraggy TH | 11.4 | 16.5 → 27.9 |
3. | To Rolling Creek TH | 12.2 | 27.9 → 40.1 |
4. | To Long Gultch | 16.4 | 40.1 → 56.5 |
5. | To Kenosha Pass | 15.1 | 56.5 → 71.6 |
6. | To Goldhill TH (Breckenridge) | 32.8 | 71.6 → 104.4 |
7. | To Copper Mountain TH | 12.4 | 104.4 → 116.8 |
8. | To Tennessee Pass | 25.8 | 116.8 → 142.6 |
9. | To Timberline Lake TH | 13.4 | 142.6 → 156.0 |
10. | To Mount Massive TH | 13.0 | 156.0 → 169.0 |
11. | To Clear Creek TH | 21.5 | 169.0 → 190.5 |
12. | To Silver Creek TH | 18.6 | 190.5 → 209.1 |
13. | To Chalk Creek TH | 22.7 | 209.1 → 231.8 |
14. | To Highway 50 TH (Salida) | 20.5 | 231.8 → 252.3 |
15. | To Marshall Pass TH | 14.0 | 252.3 → 266.3 |
16. | To Sargents Mesa TH | 15.4 | 266.3 → 281.7 |
17. | To Highway 114 TH | 20.4 | 281.7 → 302.1 |
18. | To Saguache Park TH | 13.7 | 302.1 → 315.8 |
19. | To Eddiesville TH | 13.7 | 315.8 → 329.5 |
20. | To San Luis Pass | 12.6 | 329.5 → 342.1 |
21. | To Spring Creek Pass (Lake City) | 14.8 | 342.1 → 356.9 |
22. | To Carson Saddle TH | 17.3 | 356.9 → 374.2 |
23. | To Stony Pass TH | 16.0 | 374.2 → 390.2 |
24. | To Molas Pass (Silverton) | 20.0 | 390.2 → 410.2 |
25. | To Bolam Pass TH | 21.0 | 410.2 → 431.2 |
26. | To Hotel Draw TH | 11.1 | 431.2 → 442.3 |
27. | To Kennebec Pass TH | 20.6 | 442.3 → 462.9 |
28. | To Junction Creek TH (Durango!) | 21.5 | 462.9 → 484.4 |
![Bighorn sheep!](/uploads/trails/colorado-trail/photos/01-waterton-canyon-to-s-platte-canyon/bighorn-sheep-33780.jpg)
Bighorn sheep!
![18.4 miles](/uploads/trails/colorado-trail/photos/02-to-little-scraggy-th/colorado-trail-33824.jpg)
![29.1 miles](/uploads/trails/colorado-trail/photos/03-to-rolling-creek-th/colorado-trail-33868.jpg)
![Morning fog](/uploads/trails/colorado-trail/photos/04-to-long-gultch/morning-fog.jpg)
Morning fog
![66.1 miles](/uploads/trails/colorado-trail/photos/05-to-kenoshapass/colorado-trail-34025.jpg)
![Grey Jay](/uploads/trails/colorado-trail/photos/06-to-goldhillth-breckenridge/grey-jay.jpg)
Grey Jay
![Mining activities](/uploads/trails/colorado-trail/photos/08-to-tennessee-pass/mining-activities-34339.jpg)
Mining activities
![148.8 miles](/uploads/trails/colorado-trail/photos/09-to-timberlinelaketh/colorado-trail-34369.jpg)
![Glacier Creek](/uploads/trails/colorado-trail/photos/10-to-mountmassiveth/glacier-creek.jpg)
Glacier Creek
![Beaver pond!](/uploads/trails/colorado-trail/photos/11-to-clear-creek-th/beaver-pond-34479.jpg)
Beaver pond!
![Harvard Lake](/uploads/trails/colorado-trail/photos/12-to-silver-creek-th/harvard-lake-34622.jpg)
Harvard Lake
![Frontier Ranch](/uploads/trails/colorado-trail/photos/13-to-chalk-creek-th/frontier-ranch.jpg)
Frontier Ranch
![Enjoy Salida!](/uploads/trails/colorado-trail/photos/14-to-highway-50-th-salida/enjoy-salida.jpg)
Enjoy Salida!
![Break time!](/uploads/trails/colorado-trail/photos/15-to-marshallpass-th/break-time.jpg)
Break time!
![The aspen are gorgeous!](/uploads/trails/colorado-trail/photos/16-to-sargents-mesa-th/the-aspen-are-gorgeous.jpg)
The aspen are gorgeous!
![Steller's Jay](/uploads/trails/colorado-trail/photos/17-to-highway-114-th/stellers-jay.jpg)
Steller's Jay
![The Milky Way!](/uploads/trails/colorado-trail/photos/18-to-saguache-park-th/the-milky-way.jpg)
The Milky Way!
![Van Tassel Gulch Road](/uploads/trails/colorado-trail/photos/19-to-eddiesvilleth/van-tassel-gulch-road-35099.jpg)
Van Tassel Gulch Road
![Moose! Moose!](/uploads/trails/colorado-trail/photos/20-to-san-luis-pass/moose-moose.jpg)
Moose! Moose!
![White-tailed Ptarmigan](/uploads/trails/colorado-trail/photos/22-to-carsonsaddle-th/white-tailed-ptarmigan.jpg)
White-tailed Ptarmigan
![386.3 miles](/uploads/trails/colorado-trail/photos/23-to-stonypass-th/colorado-trail-35378.jpg)
![416.8 miles](/uploads/trails/colorado-trail/photos/25-to-bolam-pass-th/colorado-trail-35511.jpg)
![Blackhawk Pass](/uploads/trails/colorado-trail/photos/26-to-hotel-draw-th/blackhawk-pass-35603.jpg)
Blackhawk Pass
![460.3 miles](/uploads/trails/colorado-trail/photos/27-to-kennebecpass-th/colorado-trail-35696.jpg)
![467.3 miles](/uploads/trails/colorado-trail/photos/28-to-junction-creek-th-durango/colorado-trail-35725.jpg)