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Colorado Trail

Colorado Trail Map
Length:484.4 miles
Steps:1,098,754
Burned:62,265 calories
Hiked:Aug 25, 2017—Sep 27, 2017
Photos:2,024
Videos:20
Type:premium
Walk Trail!

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
Stage NameLength
(miles)
Position
(miles)
1.Waterton Canyon to S Platte Canyon16.50.0 → 16.5
2.To Little Scraggy TH11.416.5 → 27.9
3.To Rolling Creek TH12.227.9 → 40.1
4.To Long Gultch16.440.1 → 56.5
5.To Kenosha Pass15.156.5 → 71.6
6.To Goldhill TH (Breckenridge)32.871.6 → 104.4
7.To Copper Mountain TH12.4104.4 → 116.8
8.To Tennessee Pass25.8116.8 → 142.6
9.To Timberline Lake TH13.4142.6 → 156.0
10.To Mount Massive TH13.0156.0 → 169.0
11.To Clear Creek TH21.5169.0 → 190.5
12.To Silver Creek TH18.6190.5 → 209.1
13.To Chalk Creek TH22.7209.1 → 231.8
14.To Highway 50 TH (Salida)20.5231.8 → 252.3
15.To Marshall Pass TH14.0252.3 → 266.3
16.To Sargents Mesa TH15.4266.3 → 281.7
17.To Highway 114 TH20.4281.7 → 302.1
18.To Saguache Park TH13.7302.1 → 315.8
19.To Eddiesville TH13.7315.8 → 329.5
20.To San Luis Pass12.6329.5 → 342.1
21.To Spring Creek Pass (Lake City)14.8342.1 → 356.9
22.To Carson Saddle TH17.3356.9 → 374.2
23.To Stony Pass TH16.0374.2 → 390.2
24.To Molas Pass (Silverton)20.0390.2 → 410.2
25.To Bolam Pass TH21.0410.2 → 431.2
26.To Hotel Draw TH11.1431.2 → 442.3
27.To Kennebec Pass TH20.6442.3 → 462.9
28.To Junction Creek TH (Durango!)21.5462.9 → 484.4
Bighorn sheep!
Colorado Trail @7.3 miles
Bighorn sheep!
18.4 miles
Colorado Trail @18.4 miles
29.1 miles
Colorado Trail @29.1 miles
Morning fog
Colorado Trail @48.5 miles
Morning fog
66.1 miles
Colorado Trail @66.1 miles
Grey Jay
Colorado Trail @79.4 miles
Grey Jay
Mining activities
Colorado Trail @126.7 miles
Mining activities
148.8 miles
Colorado Trail @148.8 miles
Glacier Creek
Colorado Trail @157.6 miles
Glacier Creek
Beaver pond!
Colorado Trail @173.3 miles
Beaver pond!
Harvard Lake
Colorado Trail @206.2 miles
Harvard Lake
Frontier Ranch
Colorado Trail @226.4 miles
Frontier Ranch
Enjoy Salida!
Colorado Trail @251.6 miles
Enjoy Salida!
Break time!
Colorado Trail @261.3 miles
Break time!
The aspen are gorgeous!
Colorado Trail @276.2 miles
The aspen are gorgeous!
Steller's Jay
Colorado Trail @288.2 miles
Steller's Jay
The Milky Way!
Colorado Trail @311.8 miles
The Milky Way!
Van Tassel Gulch Road
Colorado Trail @319.7 miles
Van Tassel Gulch Road
Moose! Moose!
Colorado Trail @332.8 miles
Moose! Moose!
White-tailed Ptarmigan
Colorado Trail @371.6 miles
White-tailed Ptarmigan
386.3 miles
Colorado Trail @386.3 miles
416.8 miles
Colorado Trail @416.8 miles
Blackhawk Pass
Colorado Trail @438.2 miles
Blackhawk Pass
460.3 miles
Colorado Trail @460.3 miles
467.3 miles
Colorado Trail @467.3 miles