I purified some more water for todays hike and ate breakfast, a Metrx bar and some granola & almonds. We also saw more people this morning than the rest of the trip combined! Im considering doing this loop this summer and you have really helped! Heres what we learned while preparing for the Elk Park to Needleton hike, plus a few things I wish Id known ahead of time! The unincorporated community of Needleton is very secluded east from the Highway 550. Check out this 17.3-mile out-and-back trail near Durango, Colorado. However, the clouds were building now and threatened to block the sun for the first time today. This was perfect! Not once did we get wet crossing a stream. The oldest cart on the train was built in 1879, and the oldest engine was from 1925 I believe. What a place for a cabin! I decided to head downhill in a hurry. The trail follows Elk Creek, and I believe it was called the Elk Creek Trail. Route Eldorado Lake to Vallecito Creek Bridge. Did this route from July 28 to August 3. My group is collectively only able to go last week of May/first week of June. It has been our group's favorite for several years. We heard later that there was a porcupine in the area chewing on things, so it couldve been the culprit. The altitude will affect water filters and food cook time, which is usually explained on the packaging. Learn more about this exciting opportunity for outdoor recreation youll find only in Durango. So far my knees have been doing great this hike, but an entire day going downhill worried me. It was slippery and a little scary in the rain. Really, it shouldnt be called a creek, but a river instead. 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 Unlike Snowmass though, the trail here was more open and very well worn, and not much here to get me wet. It was extra sunny during the day, and there were thunderstorms most evenings. I would have taken more pictures, but I didnt want my camera to get wet. When we visited in September, the days were hot and the nights were cold. Any and all kinds of weather! I hope your backpacking trip is just as epic as ours was. drops you off in the middle of the wilderness (no car access) and do a loop that is absolutely beautiful. Very clear and interesting. Very well done! Nearly everyone who comes by Needleton does so via the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad. 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. Elk Park-Needleton Loop. Highly recommend! Needless to say, our rain gear would be used heavily on this trip. We recommend it as long as you are ready to stay 7 days in the backcountry! The ride is slow and sooty and other than the crying kids that overpopulated our car, the ride really was wonderful. Elk Park Stop Elk Creek Trail This trail travels east from the railroad, climbing into the upper reaches of the Needle Mountains. Campsite in Chicago Basin for nights 4 and 5. To exit we kept walking all the way to Purgatory. Weminuche Wilderness, CO - Elk Park/Needleton Loop Hike Coming down from hunchback pass we had to climb over or around several (and I mean several) trees that were across the path. - 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? 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. Within the first mile, we encountered a snake on the trail. Where did you get the map? Still, there were several more people that were waiting by the train tracks and elsewhere. Awesome, glad it was useful to you. 7 of the Best Summer Backpacking Trips in the Mountain West All we could do is move downhill as quickly as possible, and after descending another 1500 feet or so, all was well again. At least we had somewhere to sit now, that was nice. This is a popular trail for backpacking, birding, and camping, but you can still enjoy some solitude during quieter times of day. After staring me down for a minute, they decided to move in my direction. I proceeded downhill now alongside the edge of this. But if you need an even warmer quilt, weve heard very good things about the quilts from Enlightened Equipment. Weminuche Wilderness in southern Colorado. You take a train from We were able to cross the creek by hopping rocks and logs, just as we were able to with every other stream crossing on this trip. The plan was to camp at either Kite Lake or Eldorado Lake, whichever looked more appealing. Elk Park Train Stop to Needleton | Map, Guide - Colorado | AllTrails Miles Hiked 5.4 Very nice trip report! We estimated ~100 trees that we had to go over, under, or around - felt like a tough mudder. 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. Continental Divide Trail (2018), "His breathing is measured as he narrates his journey, describing the personal allure of the great outdoors, the difference between mere hobby and real passion. The trail is always very clear and easy to follow. Oh well. At what point along your route could you hike out and call it quits (or hike out for help)? There were more mountain goats in the evening as well. We met others that were completing this 36-40 mile trip as we were walking into the wilderness from Needleton. I knew I was going to punish them here and figured itd be best to give them any help they can get. Also, bring a way to filter water. You can download the GPX file here: http://metalbackpacker.com/wp-content/uploads/gpx/WeminucheRouteHiked.gpx. Weve also been testing this Deuter Aircontact Ultra 45 + 5 pack and love it. Happy trails! Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad: Back Packing Train There were a few more mines along the trail here, and one appeared to be deeper than the others we had explored. She said that several of them approached the campsite and some got extremely close. Finally, the weather is cooperating! The weather looked like it was holding out as we neared the top, but it looked like it could turn bad at any moment. Just import my GPX file and then you can print it out. Again, a lot of trees were down that we had to circumnavigate. Its an extra 9 miles I believe from Purgatory to Needleton. But there would be no sleeping in tomorrow morning though, because we were off to the Great Sand Dunes National Park! Of course, this is contingent on cooperating weather. In good weather it should not be a problem. On day four, we hiked along the 4wd road to Pole Creek and picked up our ride there. Before I knew it though, I was was past the steeper summit section and back down to a more obvious trail. Arriving via a coal-powered train on the Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad, this excursion into the dramatic Weminuche Wilderness of the San Juan Mountains of southwestern Colorado gets off to a unique start. There havent been any bugs out the last 2 nights though, and I was really wishing we had a fire like this on night one. Lisa was quite scared here, and it took a lot of coaxing to get her to move. We made the decision to cut our trek short. The weather started clearing up after about mile 4. If I recall correctly we did it in 6 nights. Call the Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad at 1-888-872-4607 to book and make your reservation. Weminuche Wilderness, CO Elk Park/Needleton Loop Hike. You have to make the backpacker train reservations by phone, not online. Our morning routine is a little more polished now, and we were on the trail by 7am. Parking is available at the Silverton Depot at no charge. It was incredible to see the clouds taking over the area! They were all well marked but took extra time to navigate. As of the 2013 season, a round-trip ticket is $90.10 + $10.00 for your pack. The four debris fields we crossed we scary enough. You can board the train for wilderness access in Durango or Silverton. This time, we were sure to be acclimated to the elevation. Food takes longer to cook at high altitudes. For shelter, we carried a backpacking tent, as well as a double sleeping pad, Sea to Summit Thermolite sleeping bag liners, and a compressible backpacking quilt. Seating is only guaranteed if you book a seat in advance. Twin Lakes, still waiting for early morning light to hit tis waters. Recommended Posts. Overall a pretty remote and isolated trail with beautiful scenery, clean water everywhere and pristine nature. Needleton Bridge Trailhead // Colorado 13ers As we laid down to sleep tonight, all we could think about was laying down in that nice hotel bed tomorrow night. Not today, it gre more and more intense as time went on. San Juan National Forest. Leave a Comment. The skies did not look good and I was not sure whether or not I would be climbing tomorrow. It even had some rails leading in and out of it. Id say there were about 20 people total here waiting for the train. We saw deers, elk, mountain goat, beavers. Start your next Durango outdoor adventure from the Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad. The train ride out of Durango and through the Rockwood Cut was quite enjoyable. You then pass over the continental divide twice and the train picks you back up. After lunch, the trail had gained enough elevation to start giving us some better views as it passed alongside some cliffs. I used a Deuter Kids 40 pack (it has an adjustable torso section for short people!) FIND YOUR WAY OUTSIDE is a trademark of AllTrails, LLC. Prepare to not have a cell signal. Some pretty sections, but a bit disappointed overall. 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. Very useful. After being in the rain all week, we were still getting rained on during the train ride back. I updated this post to include a map of the Weminuche Wilderness, with trailhead locations marked. I was a little nervous after getting dropped off at the trail via train and watching it ride away! There is no cover up here by Eldorado Lake, which sits well above the treeline at 12,300ft. Save on outdoor activities, tours & rentals. There were tons of waterfalls everywhere, many more than our hike in the Maroon Bells last year. Route Chicago Basin to Needleton train stop. Success! (We didnt see any, but we heard they were plentiful.). As always, questions and comments are welcome! I'm a traveler who loves to eat. For details on the hike itself, see my post about the various trail segments. Everything was wet, including my feet. Hello, solitude. Route Elk CReek campsite to Eldorado Lake. I saw maybe 10 people on day 5, and probably about 60 on day 6. I can use train but according to DSNGRR schedule, their trains stops EITHER in Needlton OR in Elk Park, but not in BOTH. 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. The first morning of a hike always takes the longest to get going. Done over 5 nights and 6 days. 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. A full train schedule is available on the Durango Train website. If you found my trip report useful, please dont hesitate to leave a comment! Any feedback appreciated. The mountain goats I saw on the rocks earlier were in the same general spot on my way back. And what a campsite that would be, killer views! Our trek group of 6 - ages ranging from 17 to 64 years. On day two, we encountered an even larger debris field between Beaver Pond and the ascent to the miner's shack. Now back on the trail, we started gaining elevation en route to Hunchback Pass. Finally, some views! At 2:45, we heard a train approaching that sounded its whistle. Lower elevations and farther south, definitely no snow and the spring melt off is going to be done by then. Before you head out into the wilderness, make sure you know where youre going! Elk Park Train Stop to Needleton Hiking Route | Trailforks . The weather was holding out all morning, shine shining and blue skies. Whitewater trips for more experienced adventurers. I do regret getting the open-cart seats though, because it was raining and it was not dry inside. Since cell service is unlikely, the Garmin InReach Mini 2 became our lifeline. Coming down Columbine Pass into Chicago Basin? Here comes my ride! Everyone in the shack jumped up immediately, rushing to put on boots and grab their gear as we rushed towards the tracks. Absolute Best 5-7 Day Backpacking Trip ID,MT, or WY We kept the food bags in our packs too, which is kept in OPsaks. The low clouds were back, engulfing Mount Kennedy southwest of us. I had no way of keeping my gear out of the reach of the rodents. We had to stand guard for a while to make sure they didnt walk right into our camp. A very convenient spot for an abandoned shack to be located. So far, so good. This trail is great for hiking, and it's unlikely you'll encounter many other people while exploring. Elk Park Train Stop to Needleton is a 36 mile moderately trafficked point-to-point trail located near Silverton, Colorado that features beautiful wild flowers and is rated as moderate. Wilderness Access Train Rides - Durango.com Even though I initially didnt want to build a fire, I was really glad to have it going now. However I'm looking forward to making another trip here soon. There were also a lot of flowers alongside the trail, and there were tons of butterflies on them. Sarah is the primary creator at Champagne Tastes. The only stop on the southbound trail in the afternoon is Elk Park. Theres also a Deuter backpacking pack thats a standard size, if youre taller than I am! False alarm. I found a semi dry spot under a pine tree to hang out during the rain while Lisa took cover in the tent. Since there are no fires allowed in Chicago Basin or the rest of the Needle Creek drainage, and the fact that I was planning on climbing in morning, we called it an early night and went to bed shortly after sundown. Getting down to the water and going through the process of purifying the water was a bit of a pain here, but I wanted to get it out of the way in case it started raining again. There was an insane amount of biting flies and mosquitoes by the river here though, and I was regretting my decision to leave the bug spray and mosquito head net behind. Make sure everyone in your party books the train together. We settled for this spot and set up camp by 4pm or so. There was a snowshoe hare, or multiple hares, that I kept seeing as I gathered wood. Absolutely stunning! Great hope they dont cause us any trouble tonight. NOTE: As of 2021, we have been informed that you cannot board the train in Silverton and get dropped off at Needleton. Still, I was glad to have spent the night at Eldorado Lake. We did not have gloves (other than one pair of fingerless gloves I use when gathering/breaking firewood and climbing), so our hands were getting a little numb. Oregon Desert Trail (2022) *Coming Soon 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. Id say we averaged 5 people seen per day on days 1-4. Train ride through the beautiful San Juan mountains on the way to our drop off point at Elk Park. The times we've done this, the train departed Silverton about 2:45 PM and dropped us of by 3:45 PM. You'll need to reserve this option in advance, but it makes for a great opportunity to explore the San Juan National Forest. Today we slept in to 6am. The rain subsided and we dipped below the clouds into a new valley. By the time we were leaving the treeline behind, foul weather had returned. 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 . We made it to Chicago Basin and I made it to the "saddle" of Sunlight peak before talking myself out of going up the rest of the way (regretting it to this day). Fortunately it was all downhill, so we could cover some serious ground, which I assumed would be at the expense of my knees. Lisa spent the morning chasing away mountain goats. Next I found myself on the saddle below the approach to Windom Peak. Every mountain we encountered was amazing! In addition to us, there was also a group of 2, 3, and 4 other hikers who also got off the train. The weather was cloudy and more scattered rain throughout the rest of the day. The Needleton stop also gives you access to the Needle Creek Trail, Johnson Creek Trail and the Chicago Basin. I asked one of the train workers if we could sit in the covered carts even though we had tickets for the open cart, and he said sure, if theres a seat available. This hike primary route. Your email address will not be published. After realizing that, I looked around and could see where the trail picked up again, and started hiking directly towards the trail in the distance. I watched the bolts of lightning in the distance for a while before going to bed. This route climbs 8,523 ft with a max elevation of 12,843 ft then descends -9,174 ft. Local Trail Association The mountain scenery is spectacular the whole way, and you cross over several high passes along the way. To my amazement, the sky was 100% clear when I woke up at 5:30 this morning. Prueba esta ruta de punto a punto de 37,3-millas cerca de Silverton, Colorado. 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. We stayed up a little later tonight due to the fire, and ended up going to bed around 11pm. Thanks for sharing. 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. Get around Durango in style with rental vehicles. Sultan Peak | Map, Guide - Silverton, CO | AllTrails At mile 4.25 or so, there were some nice camping spots in the meadow. It was about 1/3 the size of his sleeping pad, and as far as I know, is the lightest one on the market at 9.1 ounces. I decided to take pictures of the lake later and just head up Windom now. Really helpful report! While we ate our sandwiches, they grazed about 40 feet away as if we werent even there. Interesting views in the upper Chicago Basin area. I chose my path through the first boulder field above the lake and started moving. The Durango-Silverton railroad heading north to Elk Park. Once past the tricky part near the top of the pass, it was your general steep descent via switchbacks. This will give you time to make it to your seats before the final boarding call. Clearly has not been maintained for a few seasons. After driving around town, we realized that there was zero parking available anywhere. It ended up raining everyday, several times a day while we were here. Your email address will not be published. We followed Bear Creek down to the Rio Grande by following the 4wd road and used our sat phone to arrange for transportation to Silverton. From the drainage area, it was easy to cross to the other side of the lake. It was one of our Black Diamond Alpine carbon trekking poles, which was extra sad. The top of Hunchback Pass offered no views, as the visibility was around 200 feet. We had about 7 miles of downhill hiking to the train, which arrives at 3:30, and thus were not in a hurry. The train follows the overall route of the Animas River northward from Durango and stops at Silverton, however, we werent going that far. The skies were pretty blue now and there was abundant sunshine. (we were going from Needleton to Elk Park). TR: Elk Park/Needleton Loop with extras - WhiteBlaze This was a pizza by the slice kind of place, and the slices were enormous! Lisa was out roaming too, watching the many Ptarmigan birds in the area. Strider1. Finally, with any backpacking trip, you should look for an emergency out. If I were to do it again, I wouldve done a few more miles the first day - theres a nice campsite before the first peak. After about an hour of rain, thunder and lightning, I gave up on the idea of a fire. 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. 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. Bob Marshall. Thankfully, we never needed to press the SOS button, but I was thrilled with the functionality of the map and messaging features. I chucked some rocks and shouted at them, but theyd just walk 5 feet away and stare back at us. I climbed up the highest hill along the edge which was roughly 12,700ft, which provided awesome views of Eldorado and everything else around. Other trip reports Ive read have indicated that its been this way for years. 5h 16m. I took the driest looking campsite I could find, which wasnt saying much. How bad was the narrow passage near Chicago Basin? Parking in Durango is $8 per day for cars and $10 per day for RVs. Copyright 2015-2023 Champagne TastesAll Rights Reserved. The clouds seemed to be chasing us up Hunchback Pass. 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. They can be a lifesaver on a long hike. Not too bad, but this was definitely not a class 2+ as described on 14ers.com. I put my poles away now as I found it necessary to use my hands a little here and there going up some of the boulders. The trees down are no joke - this probably added an hour to our day. Going down always looks much harder! Here, theres a good view of Vestal Peak. There were a few pockets of snow tucked away here and there, but nothing too large. We only had to wait 30 minutes before suiting up. I took advantage of the weather and took a ton of pictures up here. I hit the trail around 6:15 with full rain gear on. Generally considered a challenging route, it takes an average of 5 h 9 min to complete. Thanks for sharing this one. Chicago Basin area was very pretty, and not too crowded with tents. On the train, make sure to talk to the train staff! I hung out up here a while longer before deciding to head down around 10am. Tomorrow is going to be a long day. Just as I hit that switchback, a few hikers came into view on the way down from the CDT. We saw several deer and prairie dogs before getting into the mountains. I have a trip report on the Mogollon Mountains in the Gila Wilderness, but the popular side is the east side with all the rivers. By now, there were clouds brewing in all directions, but nothing serious yet. After taking some great photos near the lake, I started heading down. Its most notable feature is a wye, built in 1884 to allow northbound trains to turn back when the canyons between Elk Park and Silverton, CO were blocked by winter avalanches. We reached the drop off at Elk Park (about . This was true for much of the trip. Weminuche Wilderness - Elk Park to Needleton - The Wild Perspective One mine was fairly close to the trail, so we took a quick detour and had a look inside. My knees were holding up very well so far this trip and I figured, why not? I'll never forget it. Youll encounter very rocky terrain (skip the zero drop / barefoot style boots on these trails your feet will be too sore!).