elk park train stop to needleton

Where the lake began to drain out down the mountainside, there were remnants of an old dam here. This time, we were sure to be acclimated to the elevation. . Would you advise camping at Twin Lakes? It ended up raining everyday, several times a day while we were here. Cell service is highly unlikely. Elk Park Train Stop to Needleton | Map, Guide - Colorado | AllTrails Start your next Durango outdoor adventure from the Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad. We are early 50s, fairly fit experienced hikers from Durango, and we gave ourselves 5 nights/6 days. Top things to do in Durango, Colorado - Uncover Colorado Basin and Range Trail (2020) Complete Camper Van Build Parts & Materials Spreadsheet, Zion National Park Hiking Angels Landing & The Narrows, CDT Section Hike 2021 Never Summer Wilderness & Parkview Mountain, Mojave-Sonoran Trail Thru Hike 2021 Section 9: Quartzsite to Kofa, Mojave-Sonoran Trail Thru Hike 2021 Section 8: Bouse to Quartzsite, Mojave-Sonoran Trail Thru Hike 2021 Section 7: Lake Havasu to Bouse, Mojave-Sonoran Trail Thru Hike 2021 Section 6: Bullhead City to Lake Havasu, Mojave-Sonoran Trail Thru Hike 2021 Section 5: Searchlight to Bullhead City, Mojave-Sonoran Trail Thru Hike 2021 Section 4: Boulder City to Searchlight, Mojave-Sonoran Trail Thru Hike 2021 Section 3: Callville Bay to Boulder City, Mojave-Sonoran Trail Thru Hike 2021 Section 2: Echo Bay to Callville Bay, Las Vegas Review-Journal article on the Basin and Range Trail, Location Weminuche Wilderness in the San Juan National Forest, CO, Park Type National Forest, Wilderness Area, Trail Type Semi loop Train drops you off and picks you up, Fires Allowed Yes (No fires in Chicago Basin or Needleton drainage). Columbine Pass The crowning jewel on our recent vacation to Colorado was an epic backpacking trip. The top of Hunchback Pass offered no views, as the visibility was around 200 feet. Thats for water drainage, and maybe goats. I laughed and told him how I lost the trail before it headed up. The third day we hiked ~11 miles, starting with 2 miles downhill and then 7 miles to the top of columbine pass and then 2 miles down to camp at Chicago basin. This entry was posted on August 29, 2013. Generally considered a moderately challenging route, it takes an average of 19 h 35 min to complete. I decided to take pictures of the lake later and just head up Windom now. Awesome views all around, but it was still cold and precipitating out and thus my camera stayed under my rain jacket. I couldnt see the mountains behind me at all now, they were lost in the clouds. We saw several deer and prairie dogs before getting into the mountains. I have done this one twice!! Heres what we learned while preparing for the Elk Park to Needleton hike, plus a few things I wish Id known ahead of time! We saw very little traffic through our area where we camped, despite being right next to the trail. This is when the fog really started growing. My knees were holding up very well so far this trip and I figured, why not? Straddling sections of the infamous Continental . More mountain goats as I leave the Twins Lake area. Expect to see (or at least hear) marmots and pikas, as well as lots of chipmunks. When we visited in September, the days were hot and the nights were cold. This section of trail is also part of the Colorado Trail, a 400 mile trail that goes from Durango to Denver. One mine was fairly close to the trail, so we took a quick detour and had a look inside. Carrying a backpack downhill has wreaked havoc on my knees on my last few hikes, but I was spared this time. I'm a traveler who loves to eat. Interesting views in the upper Chicago Basin area. We ended up finishing around 5pm on the 5th day, so instead of waiting around for the return train to Durango on day 6, we took the train to Silverton for lunch, then rode the whole return trip to Durango. Columbine Lake Trail #509 in San Juan National Forest is a difficult and steep trail with 16 discernible switchbacks but it's worth the effort. Sure enough, they appeared at the top of the trail heading down to our camp from the main trail. Today we slept in to 6am. Very good tip report. Looking for a 40-60 mile, week trip. Otherwise, you can order a big map from mytopo.com. It was a little windy last night, which can make it hard to sleep. Everything was wet, including my feet. I recommend bringing a trekking pole to help support and steady yourself on the trail. There was a lot of toilet paper and poop laying around near some of the campsites though, evidence of heavy usage. We definitely underestimated the length and altitude. Caltopo is pretty awesome if you havent used it already. As the sun went down, the goats headed back up the mountainside for the evening. I got injured jumping off the bridge there, so we couldn't complete the hike north over hunchback pass, and down Elk creekwe were kinda bummed. You write quite well. This was a pizza by the slice kind of place, and the slices were enormous! Although it was monsoon season during our trip, we were told that the coal cinders often start forest fires. You take a train from Durango that. Highlights were kite lake, columbine pass, and Chicago basin. The trail leading down to Kite Lake from the CDT, View of Kite Lake, before it disappeared in the growing fog. Everywhere along the horizon, fog could be seen rising from the mountains. You can use this file with your GPS unit, or load it in caltopo.com (or your favorite mapping website or application). However I'm looking forward to making another trip here soon. I still panned on climbing Windom and maybe Sunlight. Im considering doing this loop this summer and you have really helped! Lisa was quite scared here, and it took a lot of coaxing to get her to move. Elk Park Train Stop to Needleton is a 37 mile less popular intermediate route located near Silverton Colorado. You can board the train for wilderness access in Durango or Silverton. This is the "fourth bridge" of vallecito creek, north of the vallecito campground/Trailhead. Closing loop Needleton - Elk park - Durango Forum - Tripadvisor NOTE: As of 2021, we have been informed that you cannot board the train in Silverton and get dropped off at Needleton. This looks more like some of the pictures Id seen of the San Juans before our trip. False alarm. The rocks were still icy and required some careful footwork in some spots to negotiate. Pack your food in a bear sling or bear canister. There are two main access points for the wilderness: Elk Park and Needleton. Mojave-Sonoran Trail (2021) We passed 2 guys who had asked us how far Roell Creek was, but I wasnt familiar with that one. Thanks for the trip report, I had originally planned just on Chicago Basin but will now do the whole loop after seeing your report and talking to the forest service rangers. By now, there were clouds brewing in all directions, but nothing serious yet. Vestal Peak : Climbing, Hiking & Mountaineering : SummitPost Climb aboard and make memories youll cherish forever by planning an outdoor adventure that starts on the Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad. I wanted to make it farther though, and we pushed on to about 5.5 miles where we made camp along Elk Creek, elevation ~10,300ft. However, if you can afford it, the train ride is fun, and it sure is nice once you reach Elk Park and realize you don't have to make that 1,700' climb back up to Molas Pass. Bugs were pretty bad this year. It was well worn and looked much less difficult than I had imagined. I found a semi dry spot under a pine tree to hang out during the rain while Lisa took cover in the tent. To board at a flagstop, you must be on the east side of the tracks. If youre boarding the train at a flag stop, you need to alert the conductor. Route Vallecito Creek Bridge to Chicago Basin. Route Elk Park train stop to camp along Elk Creek at ~10,300ft. But there would be no sleeping in tomorrow morning though, because we were off to the Great Sand Dunes National Park! Wilderness Access Train Rides - Durango.com Molas Lake to Animas River via Molas Trail, Vestal Basin via Colorado and Elk Creek Trail, Stony Pass, ATV Trail 821, and Cinnamon Pass OHV Route. It was raining up here and quite cold. You would think that they would just find another place to hang out with no people nearby, but they kept trying to make their way down to our area. I was very surprised that there were no seats available, the train was pretty packed. After all, it was Saturday evening. We saw 3 hikers coming down Hunchback Pass earlier as we were going up, and didnt see anyone else today until we got about a mile from the Vallecito Creek Bridge. After 3 hours, we were finally back in Durango. At what point along your route could you hike out and call it quits (or hike out for help)? We passed many more campsites along the trail shortly after leaving our camp this morning. A very convenient spot for an abandoned shack to be located. It seems that most people in Chicago Basin came from the Needleton stop, hiked here, and turned around and went back the way they came. At 36 miles in length, this trip would likely span four or five days for average hikers, and it offers the unique ability to ride the Durango-Silverton train to access the trail. Still, I was glad to have spent the night at Eldorado Lake. Since youll be hiking in the Rocky Mountains, you should be Bear Aware. I chose my path through the first boulder field above the lake and started moving. Lots of people in the Chicago Basin, no one in the Johnson creek or Vallecito creek area. Generally considered a challenging route, it takes an average of 11 h 10 min to complete. Looking back, I wish I had checked it out. What a morale booster it was. You can download the GPX file here: http://metalbackpacker.com/wp-content/uploads/gpx/WeminucheRouteHiked.gpx. Our backpack would take us on a horseshoe loop from Elk. I dont like to sit in the tent if I dont have to. The four debris fields we crossed we scary enough. I didnt want to push Lisa too much in the first few days so I think the plan for days 1 and 2 were pretty good. It was extra sunny during the day, and there were thunderstorms most evenings. To close the loop I have to get from Needleton fo Elk Park (6.5mi). Our brakeman Sam was a wealth of knowledge about any kind of train-related questions we had. Be prepared for a lot of bugs and rain. Now back on the trail, we started gaining elevation en route to Hunchback Pass. The trail was much easier to hike than I was anticipating, and I was covering pretty good ground. Today was going to be almost all uphill, heading over Columbine Pass and down into Chicago Basin. This will give you time to make it to your seats before the final boarding call. We use the Therm-a-Rest Vela Double 20 quilt. This particular mine only ran about 30ft or so, and was not that interesting. At that point, one of our trek members sustained a significant ankle injury. The Weminuche Loop is a classic 40-50 mile horseshoe hike that starts at Elk Park and ends at Needleton. Literally just yards below the top of the pass, on the Chicago Basin side, the trail gets extremely steep and pretty sketchy. As crappy as the weather has been all day, I havent seen any lightning yet. Other hikers trickled in to the area as time went on. The nature back there is unbelievable. This cabin would be a good place to wait out a storm, but its not suitable as an overnight shelter due to its condition. We hiked from the Elk Park train stop to Needleton, which includes about 43 miles of hiking in the San Juan mountains. Lisa really wanted a fire, and although I knew we could get one going, but I didnt want to go through the effort of gathering wood only to have it rain again . Thanks for the great report! Once on board, you'll be able to ride back to Durango or Silverton to finish your adventure. Share Followers 0. This trail is great for hiking, and it's unlikely you'll encounter many other people while exploring. My boots were the driest theyd been since day 1, and I really didnt want to get stuck in rain today. Try this 60.4-km point-to-point trail near Silverton, Colorado. After staring me down for a minute, they decided to move in my direction. Soon enough, wed be overtaken by the unavoidable fog. Very nice trip report! Eventually, I was able to scare them off pretty good by simply throwing my arms up in the air. Or some come at it from the opposite (Needleton) end, via Purgatory Flats Trail and the Animas River Trail (about 10 miles). Wilderness access gives riders an opportunity to book with the intention of getting off the train and getting outdoors. Really, it shouldnt be called a creek, but a river instead. They were all well marked but took extra time to navigate. The Durango-Silverton train offers a backpacker service from May to October, where they drop you off and pick you up at train stops which more or less correspond to the trailheads. Yet another day we found ourselves traversing a pass in bad weather. We reached the drop off at Elk Park (about . Did this route from July 28 to August 3. I've begun planning my adventures for this summer, and while there will be a handful of overnighters and long weekends, I've settled on the Elk Park-Needleton Loop for my main trip. We knew that the odds were pretty good that goats would wander near us too, eventually. 5h 16m. . I did see a lot of goat hair stuck in the trees and bushes now, which we had not seen anywhere else yet along our hike. Hiked from elk park to needleton 7/1/2022-7/4/2022. There are national and state parks nearby where you can push your limits on some shorter trails first. Some hikers we met said that it sleeted on them one evening (when it had only rained on us). Dogs are welcome and may be off-leash in some areas. This was worth the trip alone and something everyone should experience at least once in their lifetime! I followed the lake to its drainage, which for reference was directly south of the Miners Cabin. I wonder how they get to their homes, since there are no roads anywhere near here. We walked down to Needle Creek and took a side path over to a waterfall, but besides that, we spent the rest of the day relaxing in camp mostly. Your email address will not be published. Discover this 6.9-mile out-and-back trail near Silverton, Colorado. Tips for Camping With Your Kids in Durango, Colorado. Trains run daily, with wilderness access available during summer months. Lisa was out roaming too, watching the many Ptarmigan birds in the area. Down from the pass, we still had a good 10 miles to cover today. Anyways, with breakfast in our stomachs and all our wet gear packed away, we hit the trail around 7:30. The names of surrounding landmarks included Stormy Gulch and Storm King Peak, and now I understood why. Im sure the views would have been great here in the absence of the clouds, but this was still pretty cool. Elk Park Train Stop to Needleton Moderate 4.6 (42) Weminuche Wilderness Photos (363) Directions Print/PDF map Length 37.5 miElevation gain 8,579 ftRoute type Point to point Head out on this 37.5-mile point-to-point trail near Silverton, Colorado. The ride is slow and sooty and other than the crying kids that overpopulated our car, the ride really was wonderful. Weminuche Wilderness National Geographic map, Black Diamond Alpine carbon trekking poles, MSR PocketRocket Deluxe backpacking stove, Sea to Summit Thermolite sleeping bag liners, Elk Park to Needleton Backpacking Loop (Silverton, CO), Supplemental Privacy Notice For California Residents, Supplemental Privacy Notice For Nevada Residents. West Needles Contiguous Wilderness Study Area. Before we knew it, we saw the Weminuche Wilderness boundary sign. When we stopped for lunch, two deer wandered into our resting area. Thanks for sharing. We stopped to eat lunch on a talus slope and observed many pikas, no marmots yet though. Did this in and back turning around a waterfall. I think we also got hailed on every day as well, with the exception of our last day. Between the trailhead marker and train stop was actually private property with a few shacks, cabins, and homes built. Y0ou could really see just ow red it was with a little sunlight. Back, finally! I always recommend carrying a waterproof paper trail map on a hike (because even if you have a digital map, sometimes technology fails). One guy stopped and said Whoa, what are you doing going up that? PDF Trip to Weminuche Wilderness, San Juan National Forest, Colorado Morning of day 2, climbing up the Colorado Trail, Going up a funky section of the Colorado Trail, below the Miners Cabin. After a nice relaxing break, we hit the trail again. After about 20 minutes of hiking, I ran into my first mountain goats of the day. The cinders get in your eyes too, and they recommend that you wear sunglasses as a form of protection. Patreon is a service that allows you to provide monthly financial support to your favorite content creators. About a half hour later we arrived at the bridge, and it was a welcome sight. If you are open to suggestions, maybe have a look at the Gila Wilderness in New Mexico. The trail follows the 44 road past the lake, and then winds towards the trail leading up to Hunchback Pass. While it did have some beautiful parts, Particularly at the top of the Continental Divide and Columbine Pass, I was disappointed by the avalanche debris in the first 6 miles and the lack of trail maintenance on the section below hunchback pass to the Vallecito Bridge. I figured more people would be out here doing the full loop like we were doing, but that clearly wasnt the case. It was almost comical how many people waved at us as the train chugged through town. Theres also a Deuter backpacking pack thats a standard size, if youre taller than I am! Also, bring a way to filter water. When taking a train leaving from Durango, you need to be in your seat 30 minutes before departure. It has been our group's favorite for several years. Happy trails! We had about 7 miles of downhill hiking to the train, which arrives at 3:30, and thus were not in a hurry. However, the clouds were building now and threatened to block the sun for the first time today. Elk Park Stop Elk Creek Trail This trail travels east from the railroad, climbing into the upper reaches of the Needle Mountains. For example, early access to youtube videos, stickers, t-shirt, behind the scenes info on my new thru hiking route creations, special thank you card and more! We returned back to the shack for a while, but decided to wait at the track 15 minutes prior to its scheduled arrival. There were a few more mines along the trail here, and one appeared to be deeper than the others we had explored. With about five minutes to go before arriving at Elk Park, one of conductors gather all of the backpackers and ask you to head to the front of the train. Wouldnt you know it, as soon as we got all the wood together, it started raining. After climbing about a third of the way up to the CDT, I hit a switchback, which I gladly used the rest of the way up. I didnt rain much though. I did this loop in Late August in the mid 90s and must have gotten a lucky dry weather window. Swampy, muddy areas where your foot sinks ankle deep in mud are also likely, as well as multiple creek crossings. 2/21/22 12:55pm. If youre doing the whole Elk Park to Needleton loop, take the Durango-Silverton diesel train north from Durango to Elk Park. My group is collectively only able to go last week of May/first week of June. After setting up the tent in light rain, I decided to take shelter in the tent as the rain continued. However, Im sure you could find a clearing to put a tent somewhere. Heres my caltopo map of the Elk Park/Needleton hike: There are no fees or permits needed to hike or camp in the Weminuche Wilderness. Nearly everyone who comes by Needleton does so via the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad. Save on outdoor activities, tours & rentals. Finally, with any backpacking trip, you should look for an emergency out. Comments are not currently showing up on my site right now, need to troubleshoot that. Here's an overview! With no campfire, stars to gaze at, or any other reason to remain awake, we went to bed as the sun went down. Given the popularity of Kite Lake, being right next to a 44 road just outside of the wilderness boundary, I pretty much had my mind set on Eldorado. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Highly recommend. The train kept on going though, as this one wasnt scheduled to stop here. For suggestions, see my guides to the best womens hiking boots and hiking gear for men. It was very quiet once the train left Elk Park. He sure did look delicious, haha. There were tons of waterfalls everywhere, many more than our hike in the Maroon Bells last year. A really incredible trip with unbeatable views! Complete Weminuche Wilderness Photo Gallery | Weminuche HD Video. Yes there is. So, they suggested to take train from Needleton to Silverton, wait for 1.5h and then return back to Elk Park for the price of full ticket Durango-Silverton . Had never seen so many mountains (we're from OK). Unlike Snowmass though, the trail here was more open and very well worn, and not much here to get me wet. It was a dream and once in a lifetime trip! Depending on where you plan to board the train, plan ahead and determine which parking option meets your needs best. Next stop: Wilderness. Miles Hiked 14.5 In summer, you may want to bring along a bug net to fit over your hat to protect yourself from mosquitoes, gnats and black flies. They didnt seem to concerned with our presence though. Weminuche Wilderness - Elk Park to Needleton - The Wild Perspective Its easy to explore the Colorado wilderness from the Durango train. Would that be too early in the season? At least we had somewhere to sit now, that was nice. Maybe not a traditional campsite, but it was by far the driest campsite Id seen on this trip yet. 7 of the Best Summer Backpacking Trips in the Mountain West Elk Park Train Stop to Needleton Hiking Route | Trailforks The Elk Park stop gives you access to the Colorado Trail, Continental Divide Trail and the Vallecito Creek Trail. On day three, we made our way up and over the Continental Divide and into the beautiful meadow just below Hunchback Pass. This was our third trek on this trail. Miles Hiked 5.7 (summit Windom Peak starting from camp in Chicago Basin) There are a lot of down trees and we had rain and some route finding to cross streams. Excellent views all around. Thank you so much for your detailed description! We got to the train stop at noon and the train picked us up at 3pm. They can be a lifesaver on a long hike. While we ate our sandwiches, they grazed about 40 feet away as if we werent even there. Apparently, they felt more threatened by that than the rocks whizzing by their heads. There were 2 large pines growing 3 feet apart, creating a dry spot large enough for our tent, all out gear, places to sit, and more. They really wanted to be right there, and werent taking no for an answer.

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