The San Juan Mountains are roughly the size of the Swiss Alps, including the spectacular 499,771 acre Weminuche Wilderness- Colorado's largest designated wilderness area. Camp perched above Rock Creek, and not a soul to be seen. Photo: Jason Hatfield. Statistics are as retrieved in September 2009 from Wilderness.net. More. San Juan Mountains Wilderness Act. Situated in the south east corner of the wilderness, this 22.2 mile hike in the Conejos Peak (pronounced coe-NAY-hoes) area offers a mix of wooded valleys, alpine meadows and huge herd of elk. Huge collection, amazing choice, 100+ million high quality, affordable RF and RM images. Hiking Colorado’s Weminuche and South San Juan Wilderness Areas: A Guide to the Area’s Greatest Hiking Adventures $ 24.95. Distance: 16.8 miles (out and back) Elevation. from Bernard Wolf. There are countless multi-day tours to choose from in the Weminuche that range from very popular, to areas that see very little human traffic. Blue Lake Loop, South San Juan Wilderness, CO. If the expedition chose either route used by the scouts, it would mean a trip of nearly 500 miles (800 km). Drive FS 506 passing the Beartown site (you may encounter a spot or two of 4WD here) eventually arriving at Kite Lake and the road's end. Dogs are also able to use this trail but must be kept on leash. A site at the mouth of Montezuma Creek on the San Juan River was selected, but a viable route was still uncertain. Explore. From FS 520, locate FS 506, heading south into Bear Creek. Within 200 yards you'll hit the boundary fence for the South San Juan Wilderness Area which you'll follow north to re-connect with the main trail. True, the landscape here, one broken volcanic peaks and cliffs, poses a formidable barrier to travel, but the overriding reason for this reputation resides in the probable presence of one critter - the ("griz"). Turkey Lake (Weminuche Wilderness) Rating: Difficult. Max: 11,940 feet. Originally designated as wilderness by Congress in 1980, it is a component of the National Wilderness Preservation System and now maintains 158,790 acres. Upon reaching the lakes, the route departs from the CDT (813). We camped at Blue Lake the first night, then wanted to camp in the vicinity of Lake Ann on day two. The South San Juan Wilderness is a U.S. Wilderness Area located in the San Juan National Forest, east of Pagosa Springs, in southern Colorado .[2]. The two National Historic Sites within the state of Colorado are: . Reflection of Peters Peak (13,122') in Rock Lake. As such, this consistently remains the most current and accurate wilderness dataset available online. Turkey Lake (Weminuche Wilderness) Rating: Difficult. The South San Juan Mountains spans 160,000+ acres that include steep slopes, high peaks and cliffs, 32 lakes, and turbulent rivers. A short-cut, thought to be simpler, was chosen with a rendezvous at Forty-Mile Spring, south of the town of Escalante. Wilderness Areas: San Juan National Forest encompasses 4 Wilderness areas which make the perfect backpacking experience. Courtesy of Jack Brauer. Highland Mary Lakes. San Juan National Forest Colorado’s largest wilderness area is the Weminuche, 500,000 acres, an area so vast you can only nibble at the edges without an … Trek into the South San Juan Wilderness, and you’ll find what just might be the wildest place in Colorado. Some believe that it is still home to a few grizzlies, but there is no sufficient evidence yet to prove this. There are countless multi-day tours to choose from in the Weminuche that range from very popular, to areas that see very little human traffic. Lake Fork The Lake Fork of the Conejos is Wild Trout water from its headwaters through and including Big Lake and Rock Lake. Conejos Peak Loop, South San Juan Wilderness, CO. There are 9 moderate trails in South San Juan Wilderness ranging from 3.8 to 10.2 miles and from 7,936 to 12,165 feet above sea level. Bear north on the Vallecito trail (529) for appx. Start checking them out and you'll be out on the trail in no time! Courtesy of Jack Brauer. Gain: 3,380 ft (1 way), 4,860 ft (round trip) Lake: 11,150 feet. The doubletrack ends at this open hilltop, a perfect resting spot. Wilderness Connect maintains and updates wilderness boundary data annually using official national agency wilderness GIS sources and acreage data from agency Realty Offices. Looking across the Continental Divide in the Weminuche Wilderness. Protected Since 1980|160,999 acres| Near Pagosa Springs. A 4 day backpacking adventure into Colorado's South San Juan Wilderness. If the expedition chose either route used by the scouts, it would mean a trip of nearly 500 miles (800 km). Updates. 3.1 miles to where the trail intersects the CDT (655) at Nebo Creek, closing the loop. Click here for up-to-date weather forecast. A sobering uneasiness about your place in the local food chain notwithstanding, you can trek an incredible 26-mile circle route by stitching together five trails within this 158,790-acre wilderness. The tarn possesses a unique teal hue and is home to some good-sized native cutthroat, which can be easily seen feeding in the shallow, log-choked outlet. Max: 11,940 feet. Some believe that it is still home to a few grizzlies, but there is … The forest contains two alpine wilderness areas; the Weminuche and South San Juan, as well as the Piedra Area. The trailhead for Crater Lake is a fair distance off any major highway - roughly 18 miles off of US Highway 160 - in close proximity to relatively unknown Elwood Pass (Forest Road 380). The large islands of San Juan, Lopez, Orcas, and Shaw make up more than 80 percent of the landmass. The South Fork Trail culminates at Blue Lake beneath the Divide, where you can peer west to the Tierra Amarilla Land Grant (site of the '79 grizzly encounter). Photos; Directions; Print/PDF Map; Share; More; Green Lake to Blue Lake Loop off 250 is a 35.6 mile lightly trafficked loop trail located near Capulin, Colorado that features a lake and is rated as difficult. Situated south of Platoro Reservoir, this 17.7 mile hike offers a mix of wooded valleys, alpine meadows and a an exhilerating stretch of the Continental Divide Trail. Uniquely shaped and with over 1,000 feet of vertical prominence, Courthouse Mountain strikes quite the figure across the skyline and is easy to distinguish from its neighbors. But there isn’t any way to second guess giving birth. Ruybalid Trail is a 9.6 mile moderately trafficked out and back trail located near Antonito, Colorado that features a lake and is rated as difficult. Home. Walking distance from the car park is the Hunchback Pass trailhead. It is something you do and the inevitability of it sweeps you along. Just north of Hwy 17 include steep slopes, high peaks and cliffs, 32,! 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