The benefit is being able to skip the train and park at the Lime Mesa TH. I was following a GPX track on my GPS of another person who had hiked this loop, and his track led me off trail a little bit. If we werent wet and hungry, I might have stopped to check it out further, but again, we were on a mission to find camp. A Garmin InReach is one of the pricier emergency options, but there are also less expensive satellite emergency locator beacons (with less functionality). That's $100 bucks round-trip for a train ticket! By tnmule20, February 10, 2022 in Camping & High Adventure. There is no road access to either the Elk Park or Needleton trail access points. For your monthly pledge, at various tier levels starting at $5, you receive perks and benefits in return. There were also a lot of flowers alongside the trail, and there were tons of butterflies on them. From above, I spotted a deer down below on the trail to Kite Lake. I'm hoping that we weren't unncessarilly cautious and missed out. Expect to pay for the train tickets, a baggage fee (for your backpack, which goes in the boxcar train), and an overnight parking fee. They were just ahead of me on the trail, but again, I was able to scare them off by simply throwing my arms in the air. We definitely underestimated the length and altitude. There were a few pockets of snow tucked away here and there, but nothing too large. The views were awe inspiring, but of course, it began to rain. I did this loop in Late August in the mid 90s and must have gotten a lucky dry weather window. Our lunch spot today was next to a waterfall. Esta ruta es popular para mochilear, disfrutar de la observacin de aves y ir de camping, sin embargo, podrs disfrutar de algo de paz durante los momentos ms tranquilos del da. It was great to get some hot food in our stomachs before heading to our hotel in Pagosa Springs. The fourth day we hiked from Chicago basin to the needleton train stop, which was an easy ~7 miles downhill. Trains run daily, with wilderness access available during summer months. With no campfire, stars to gaze at, or any other reason to remain awake, we went to bed as the sun went down. A few years ago, I was looking at hiking an alpine route (Pecos Wilderness in northern NM, and Rocky Mountain National Park) during the same time frame as you. Now through this little plateau area, the trail starts heaving down pretty quick. There is no road access to either the Elk Park or Needleton trail access points. Route Vallecito Creek Bridge to Chicago Basin. Our backpack would take us on a horseshoe loop from Elk. I feel like my extra efforts in training before this trip really made the difference in my knees. We headed down towards Kite, watching as the fog grew more and more around us. See this list of my favorite freeze-dried meals if youre curious about what theyre like. Most of the avalanche debris on Elk Creek/CT has now been cleared, and what is left is fairly easy to navigate. Also, because I sunburn easily, I brought UV protective shirts (the BALEAF womens UPF50 quick-dry shirt). At columbine Lake, I dont think youd have an issue finding a suitable site. Bugs were pretty bad this year. If I recall correctly we did it in 6 nights. Whitewater rafting with professional guides. The weather was once again threatening to rain as I made it to the top, finally sitting up on the CDT. Had never seen so many mountains (we're from OK). The trail leading down to Kite Lake from the CDT, View of Kite Lake, before it disappeared in the growing fog. The names of surrounding landmarks included Stormy Gulch and Storm King Peak, and now I understood why. Thanks for your support you ROCK!. At Twin Lakes, the terrain is a bit less hospitable, and fewer campsite options with all the rocks and stuff. I climbed up to the top of this ridge for some truly amazing views of the Weminuche Wilderness, Beautiful views of Eldorado Lake during the best weather of the afternoon, Awesome views from an unnamed high point above Eldorado Lake. I chucked some rocks and shouted at them, but theyd just walk 5 feet away and stare back at us. One guy stopped and said Whoa, what are you doing going up that? Todays hike will take us the rest of the way up the Elk Creek drainage along the Colorado trail, where well hit the Continental Divide Trail, or CDT. Narrow Gauge Railroad preservation & legacy. One stream crossing after the Vallecito bridge about mid calf. The best spot for camping was at Kite Lake, worth waking up to see the sunrise reflected on the lake. It was slippery and a little scary in the rain. Its too bad that we had already eaten dinner before starting this fire, because we still had hot dogs that we could have cooked tonight. Very useful. Its relatively easy to walk over/around them, but be patient and expect a slight delay. Because of this we consider it to be a hard trail but the views were worth every single second. On day four, we hiked along the 4wd road to Pole Creek and picked up our ride there. Although it was monsoon season during our trip, we were told that the coal cinders often start forest fires. Down from the pass, we still had a good 10 miles to cover today. 2/21/22 12:49pm. Very good tip report. Creating new thru-hiking routes & guides, hiking videos, outdoor documentaries, backpacking trip reports, trail journals, photos and more! Elk Park to Needleton Loop, plus side trips including:-Vestal Basin . Finally, with any backpacking trip, you should look for an emergency out. One mine was fairly close to the trail, so we took a quick detour and had a look inside. They watched as I hiked right past them, which I did after taking a few pictures. After going up a series of switchbacks, I had reached the Twin Lakes by around 7:15. Hey Trey, Its been many years since I did this hike so pardon my memory here. The only stop on the southbound trail in the afternoon is Elk Park. This was a class 3 in my opinion. This page has a map of the Weminuche Wilderness near the top, with trails and trail heads. Before I knew it though, I was was past the steeper summit section and back down to a more obvious trail. Everything was still pretty wet from the rains overnight, and it was cold. We walked 44 miles vs the 36 listed in the app. They could not believe how small the pad was, but I got the impression it was too ultralight for them. However, to hike this trail as I did, you will need to secure a train reservation through the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad. Here, theres a good view of Vestal Peak. This satellite powered device is able to track your location on a digital map, share your location with friends/family, send basic text messages, and (most importantly) it has an emergency SOS button to get help. I watched the bolts of lightning in the distance for a while before going to bed. This is a popular trail for birding and hiking, but you can still enjoy some solitude during quieter times of day. Our most reliable digital map was from Garmin, within the Garmin Explore app on my phone. The train gives outdoors lovers immediate access to the Weminuche Wilderness and San Juan National Forest for hiking, backpacking, rafting, fishing and other activities. I missed the shortcut from Eldorado Lake to Hunchback pass , many years ago.Im headed there in 2 wks and hoping to find itAny suggestions, This time I will have a GPS when looking from Hunchback pass I was pretty sure I could see a trail to Eldorado Lake , but wasnt positive so I didnt give it a try. Would that be too early in the season? Once on the other side, the path down to Eldorado lake was pretty clear. The mountain goats I saw on the rocks earlier were in the same general spot on my way back. Nine miles long, the route climbs 3,760 feet to the Continental Divide. It was very quiet once the train left Elk Park. Comment * document.getElementById("comment").setAttribute( "id", "a9fc6034fcd46f19ce6730fcccb725d8" );document.getElementById("b86db021e5").setAttribute( "id", "comment" ); Hi, I'm Sarah! Clearly has not been maintained for a few seasons. 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. I have backpacked in the Weminuche three times, all in September, and each time we encountered some bad rainy weather. Dogs are welcome and may be off-lead in some areas. This trail is great for hiking, and it's unlikely you'll encounter many other people while exploring. Vallecito Basin, which lies below Columbine pass, was pretty nice. Lots of people in the Chicago Basin, no one in the Johnson creek or Vallecito creek area. After all, it was Saturday evening. Swampy, muddy areas where your foot sinks ankle deep in mud are also likely, as well as multiple creek crossings. Try this 60.4-km point-to-point trail near Silverton, Colorado. Otherwise, you can order a big map from mytopo.com. Your email address will not be published. Hi Ryan, Thats definitely too early in the season. A full train schedule is available on the Durango Train website. At mile 4.25 or so, there were some nice camping spots in the meadow. I found a semi dry spot under a pine tree to hang out during the rain while Lisa took cover in the tent. Hikers can be seen on the Continental Divide Trail, above on the ridgeline, The path up to the CDT is a long, winding series of switchbacks. Im considering doing this loop this summer and you have really helped! Many jokes were cracked regarding the stench of ones self or others in their group. Climb aboard and make memories youll cherish forever by planning an outdoor adventure that starts on the Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad. Have a good hike! Seeing the fog rise from the mountains and engulf the peaks around us was incredible. The stars were barely visible now that the morning light was fast approaching, but this was the most Id seen of stars the entire trip. Get around Durango in style with rental vehicles. She's a photographer, food writer and traveler, and is certified in Backcountry Kitchen and Backcountry Navigation from the Colorado Outward Bound School and Identifying Wild Plants from Backpacker. The water in Elk Creek was super clear, so I didnt have to pre-filter any of it before using my Steri-Pen Opti UV water purifier. From there, youll have a choice of where youd like to go. We returned back to the shack for a while, but decided to wait at the track 15 minutes prior to its scheduled arrival. Really helpful report! None of them seemed very dry though. 5h 16m. On day three, we made our way up and over the Continental Divide and into the beautiful meadow just below Hunchback Pass. We had been told by the forest service that we would encounter more avalanche debris fields in the basin. This is the beaver pond that people often reference when hiking this section of trail. Hikers exchanged stories about their experiences in the Weminuche Wilderness and beyond to kill the time. Dark skies now approached from all sides, and there was even some lightning in the distance. Parking is available at the Silverton Depot at no charge. There was a lot of toilet paper and poop laying around near some of the campsites though, evidence of heavy usage. Two other climbers reached the top during my stay up here. Looking up, it looked very easy and straight forward. Excellent views all around. The altitude will affect water filters and food cook time, which is usually explained on the packaging. It moved away pretty quickly, but I could tell it was not a rattlesnake. Making reservations to ride the train to the wilderness is easy. Everyone in the shack jumped up immediately, rushing to put on boots and grab their gear as we rushed towards the tracks. instead of the 7:30AM train which stopped at Needleton. If you found my trip report useful, please dont hesitate to leave a comment! Cant wait to try this trip myself! Basin and Range Trail (2020) Oregon Desert Trail (2022) *Coming Soon Lower elevations and farther south, definitely no snow and the spring melt off is going to be done by then. Route Chicago Basin to Needleton train stop. Theres also a Deuter backpacking pack thats a standard size, if youre taller than I am! You ride the Durango/Silverton Steam Train and it drops you off. Venchka. We snacked on sour patch kids by the fire for a while before letting it burn out. My backpack did get burned by an ember though, so I was a little bummed about that, but it should be something I can patch up. Not today, it gre more and more intense as time went on. I do regret getting the open-cart seats though, because it was raining and it was not dry inside. Not cheap by any means, but it was a cool way to enter and leave the wilderness. You have to make the backpacker train reservations by phone, not online. The trial follows the 44 road by Kite Lake. The final approach of Columbine Pass was pretty steep, but manageable. My group did it in 5 days, but I would recommend giving yourself 6 or 7 so you aren't having to push yourself to get to the train on time. Thats why, if you come from a lower elevation like us, I recommend easing yourself into it while youre preparing for the Elk Park to Needleton hike! Its also a good idea to drink lots of water (more so than at sea level). Your monthly pledge helps me bring you more quality hiking and outdoor adventure videos, trail guides and content. The Durango-Silverton railroad heading north to Elk Park. We saw deers, elk, mountain goat, beavers. Enjoy the hike, its a good one! Pack your food in a bear sling or bear canister. Elk Park/Needleton Loop, Colorado. They were finally able to scare the goats away for good by barking at them like a dog. This was worth the trip alone and something everyone should experience at least once in their lifetime! We got to the train station around 7:15am, as we were told to be there 45 minutes early. Everything was wet, including my feet. Looking back up the way I just came down from Windom Peak. Cell service is highly unlikely. Ran I to some bad weather that chased us out on the 2nd day but we saw a few moose on this trail. The map in my trip report is generated from a wordpress plugin, where I uploaded my GPX file of the hike. 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 figured more people would be out here doing the full loop like we were doing, but that clearly wasnt the case. The other guy was impressed with its small size. Oh well. Things open up a bit after this pond and there are some meadows to camp in if you were so inclined. Everywhere along the horizon, fog could be seen rising from the mountains. Then on the way back, youll catch the southbound train at Needleton and ride back to Durango. This is when the fog really started growing. We had to stand guard for a while to make sure they didnt walk right into our camp. Save on outdoor activities, tours & rentals. Some hikers we met said that it sleeted on them one evening (when it had only rained on us). The ride is slow and sooty and other than the crying kids that overpopulated our car, the ride really was wonderful. This is the "fourth bridge" of vallecito creek, north of the vallecito campground/Trailhead. 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. Again, a lot of trees were down that we had to circumnavigate. Completed this loop early July 2021. The trail flattens out at the basin below Columbine Lake and once you arrive you're in for a real treat. Brandon why didnt you ask for Tiffanys number??? This particular mine only ran about 30ft or so, and was not that interesting. - John Glionna, Las Vegas Review-Journal article on the Basin and Range Trail, Watch Pioneering Nevada's Basin and Range Trail on other Streaming Services: Tubi, Xumo, Telus and Filmocracy, Like what you see? There were only one or two campsites occupied here, and it would have been a nice place to stay the night if we didnt already have our trip planned out. This was comical, yet useful information at the same time. 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. It has a mesh frame that holds the weight of the pack slightly off your back. We use the Therm-a-Rest Vela Double 20 quilt. As we waited by the tracks, one of the hikers we were talking to in the shack was showing another guy his sleeping pad. Por lo general, se considera una ruta moderada, que se tarda una media de 20 h 5 min en recorrer. Parking for the train is available in Durango and Silverton. Id say we averaged 5 people seen per day on days 1-4. Without going closer, theres no way of knowing what the rest of it looked like. Chicago Basin area was very pretty, and not too crowded with tents. The Elk Park to Needleton backpacking loop near Silverton, Colorado, covers over 40 miles and features stunning mountain vistas. Great backpacking experience!! I took it out of its stuff sack and unrolled it and the looks on their faces were just priceless. I had also been considering a climb up Sunlight Peak as well, but it was so nice up here on Windom Peak that I decided to relax, and just enjoy the beautiful view. He discourses on his own mortality, about getting too old to have such adventures, and striking your own path in life while you still can." Weminuche Wilderness, CO Elk Park/Needleton Loop Hike. Elk Park Stop Elk Creek Trail This trail travels east from the railroad, climbing into the upper reaches of the Needle Mountains. I didnt rain much though. Yes there is. Not long after, we watched the same goats cross the creek and head towards our general area. Finally, the weather is cooperating! I was a little nervous after getting dropped off at the trail via train and watching it ride away! The trail wasnt too steep most of the way up this morning. The train follows the overall route of the Animas River northward from Durango and stops at Silverton, however, we werent going that far. There are national and state parks nearby where you can push your limits on some shorter trails first. I packed a peanut butter sandwich, some jerky, and a Metrx bar to eat later, as well as 2 liters of water. The first morning of a hike always takes the longest to get going. Miles Hiked 14.5 While the wilderness area has many access points, one of the best approaches is from the Durango & Silverton railroad stop of Elk Park, just outside of Silverton. Great hike! Make sure everyone in your party books the train together. is to leave an itinerary with a responsible person back home, as well as a time and date when they should call for help if they dont hear from you. On the train, make sure to talk to the train staff! After a nice relaxing break, we hit the trail again. Hail/freezing rain/snow was falling, and it was Hunchback Pass all over again, with a little better visibility. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Eric Poulin, long distance hiker and outdoor adventurer, Greenland Hike/Packraft Expedition (2022) *Coming Soon Thankfully, we never needed to press the SOS button, but I was thrilled with the functionality of the map and messaging features. Columbine Pass and Chicago Basin probably were the highlights of the trip -- incredibly high and scenic alpine country. There are two main access points for the wilderness: Elk Park and Needleton. Past that meadow, the trail begins to climb past the treeline. Straddling sections of the infamous Continental . This will be especially helpful during creek crossings and on downhill areas with loose pebbles. Lisa made it up 15 minutes later, but we didnt stick around too long. This time, we were sure to be acclimated to the elevation. This is a spectacular trip with abundant scenery and lots of solitude. One of the things that makes this loop so special is that the trailheads can both be reached via the Silverton-Durango Narrow Gauge Railroad, a tourist train pulled by a steam locomotive that has been used in dozens of . The weather started to improve a little as we set up the tent and took care of the usual camp chores. PS. Colorado Adventure 2022 San Juan Mountains Weminuche Wilderness Elk Park - Needleton Loop - YouTube Backpacking trip in the San Juan Mountains in July 2022. We got to the train stop at noon and the train picked us up at 3pm. Early morning at the Durango-Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad station. There were a bunch of waterfalls along Needle Creek though. Tomorrow is going to be a long day. Copyright 2015-2023 Champagne TastesAll Rights Reserved. We also brought along these touch-screen activewear gloves, Buffs to help protect us from sun (or keep our ears warm), silk thermals for a base layer, and a balaclava to keep warm at night. Im taking a group on essentially this same trip in a couple weeks, and your pictures and story are very inspiring. After driving around town, we realized that there was zero parking available anywhere. At least we had somewhere to sit now, that was nice. One slice was probably between the size of a small and medium pizza at most places, but it was extremely thin. It felt good to be hiking today its amazing what a little sunshine can do. This was a pizza by the slice kind of place, and the slices were enormous! There are a lot of trees down throughout the Johnson Creek and Needle Creek drainages - another hiker counted 155 trees across the trail on the way down from Chicago Basin to Needleton, but it looks like the FS is working their way up, clearing from the bottom up. The times we've done this, the train departed Silverton about 2:45 PM and dropped us of by 3:45 PM. So much for being packed. I would have taken more pictures, but I didnt want my camera to get wet. There were more mountain goats in the evening as well. What a morale booster it was. Our brakeman Sam was a wealth of knowledge about any kind of train-related questions we had. I was mainly happy to dry out my boots. The people were yelling at them and throwing rocks to try and scare them away, but the goats were pretty stubborn. I recommend bringing a trekking pole to help support and steady yourself on the trail. It was well worn and looked much less difficult than I had imagined. He had camped in this area, not by Eldorado, and thus had left the trail to set up his camp. Learn more about the wildlife in the area. The rain subsided and we dipped below the clouds into a new valley. Here, there were several more mountain goats hanging out on the rocks by a small pool of water. Literally just yards below the top of the pass, on the Chicago Basin side, the trail gets extremely steep and pretty sketchy. I updated this post to include a map of the Weminuche Wilderness, with trailhead locations marked. Thanks for sharing. It was cloudy and grey though, so pictures werent coming out good. We reached the drop off at Elk Park (about . From Twin Lakes, I made it back to my campsite in 35 minutes. Finally, some views! I just forwarded the link so he get get psyched up! Trail Name - Elk Park/Needleton Loop Location - Weminuche Wilderness in the San Juan National Forest, CO Park Type - National Forest, Wilderness Area Fees & Permits - None Length Of Time Hiked - 6 days, 5 nights Trail Type - Semi loop - Train drops you off and picks you up Miles Hiked - 48 Trail Difficulty - 8 The top of Hunchback Pass offered no views, as the visibility was around 200 feet. Not once did we get wet crossing a stream. After checking our gear and getting set up, we were on our way. Where the lake began to drain out down the mountainside, there were remnants of an old dam here. 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. For suggestions, see my guides to the best womens hiking boots and hiking gear for men. The free version of caltopo only allows 5 pages max in your pdf, so just break it up into blocks of 5 pages or less and print out the entire map that way. This section of trail is also part of the Colorado Trail, a 400 mile trail that goes from Durango to Denver. Most of our clothing was wet, including our backpacks and other gear, so we finally had a chance to dry them out some. We stayed up a little later tonight due to the fire, and ended up going to bed around 11pm. We passed 2 guys who had asked us how far Roell Creek was, but I wasnt familiar with that one. There were no signs of private property here, so we hung out here while we waited for the train. You can use this file with your GPS unit, or load it in caltopo.com (or your favorite mapping website or application). Back up on the CDT, it was evident that the weather was not going to cooperate today. There were a lot of berries along the trail, although not all edible. At least we can enjoy a few hours of sunshine before the weather turns. Apparently, they felt more threatened by that than the rocks whizzing by their heads. Your email address will not be published. This is a popular trail for backpacking, birding, and camping, but you can still enjoy some solitude during quieter times of day. Here comes my ride! It was around 1:45pm when we rolled into camp today. Just as I hit that switchback, a few hikers came into view on the way down from the CDT. There was a snowshoe hare, or multiple hares, that I kept seeing as I gathered wood. Expect to see (or at least hear) marmots and pikas, as well as lots of chipmunks. The best times to visit this trail are May through September. Elk Park is a wide spot in the Animas River canyon located at milepost 490.5 on the Silverton Branch of the San Juan Extension. There was a very brief moment of sunlight right as we crossed Red Rock Creek, which was nice to have at this moment. 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. This is where Eldorado Lake drains off the mountainside and down to the Miners Cabin area we passed earlier today, Looking up at 13,627ft White Dome from the Eldorado Lake drainage. Highly recommend! The nature back there is unbelievable. They ran downhill and out of sight, and I kept moving. We also saw more people this morning than the rest of the trip combined! Lisa just made it up over the last rocky ridge on the CDT, giving way to views of Eldorado Lake. One of the biggest drawing points of the Elk Creek trail is the unique opportunity to combine a Wilderness trip with a ride on a steam locomotive. The trail follows Elk Creek, and I believe it was called the Elk Creek Trail. Todays hike will take us down by Kite Lake, over Hunchback Pass, and all the way down to the Vallecito Creek bridge, near Johnson Creek. Also, if youre looking for a GPX file, you can download that here http://metalbackpacker.com/gpx-files/. Or are there other routes you could r commend for some stream and lake fishing? Call the Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad at 1-888-872-4607 to book and make your reservation. Next I found myself on the saddle below the approach to Windom Peak. After lunch, we continued to climb in elevation until we reached the Miners Cabin just below the CDT. He sure did look delicious, haha. NOTE: As of 2021, we have been informed that you cannot board the train in Silverton and get dropped off at Needleton.